Check out the newly approved protective headgear for pitchers

(Boombang) In their continuing effort to better protect pitchers, MLB and the MLBPA have approved a new protective headgear design that will be available during spring training.

According to ESPN’s Outside The Lines, 20 major-league pitchers are expected to receive the new Boombang headgear early in spring training and will be the first to experiment with the model.

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The new model gives the appearance of a partial batting helmet, including ear protection based on which arm the pitcher throws with. Research done by Boombang showed that line drives to the side of the head typically strike right-handers on the right and lefties on the left because of follow-through position, making the side protection crucial.

Here’s more information from the Outside the Lines report:

“A hybrid of a cap and a helmet” is how MLB vice president Patrick Houlihan describes the customized hats that weigh 10 to 12 ounces, depending on head size, have a carbon fiber shell and roughly resemble sun visors with extended forehead and temple coverage and single earflaps like batting helmets. The average thickness is about 0.7 inches and is greatest in places most susceptible to catastrophic injury, according to Boombang, the company hired to design and produce the headwear.

Carlos Torres and his preferred headgear. (AP) As you may have noticed, the Boombang model is considerably different from the isoBLOX prototype most notably worn by former Padres and Mets reliever Alex Torres.

Though popular with Torres, the isoBox model has been mostly ignored around the league, making the emergence of newer and different models important to the process.

“Our new product is not in any way, shape or form to elbow out isoBLOX,” Houlihan said. “We hope this creates a market and we’ll have multiple companies making great products.”

Simply said, the more options there are, the more likely pitchers are to find something to their liking.

As much as we think safety should be the main issue here, players will undoubtedly go for comfort or at least headgear that feels natural while they’re in the middle of an intense battle. And yes, sometimes cosmetics will play into it too, because how one wears the uniform can be turned into a fashion statement.

Perhaps the Boombang model will be viewed as a step in the right direction on one or both fronts, or maybe even the solution many pitchers are looking for. Time will tell, but at the very least it should give more insight into what will work and what will be accepted.

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