Sign stealing has been a part of baseball for longer than anyone reading this has been alive, and that’s not going to change any time soon. However, technology has certainly changed the way that teams can go about gaining an advantage on their opponents, which makes for a pretty significant debate around what’s right and wrong.
MLB made sure that teams understood that the use of electronic devices would not be allowed, and they’ve made plenty of steps to limit the ways that teams can steal signs over the last few years. The discussion is at an all-time high right now because of the revelation about the Houston Astros’ sign stealing system, which was exposed this week in an article by the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich, and also notable Twitter user, @jomboy_.