Pitchers to try protective headgear during spring training

Some pitchers will have a new look when spring training hits, one that could change the safety of the position for the foreseeable future.

According to ESPN's William Weinbaum, 20 pitchers are expected to try a new piece of protective headgear that resembles a "hybrid of a helmet and a cap," as MLB vice president Patrick Houlihan explained it.

The headgear, which was created in a joint effort between MLB and the MLBPA, weighs 10-to-12 ounces, has an average thickness of about 0.7 inches, and comes built for both left- and right-handed pitchers. The thickness is greatest in areas most susceptible to catastrophic injury, according to Boombang, which designed and produced the headwear.

(Courtesy: ESPN's Outside the Lines)

Alex Torres of the Atlanta Braves has worn an alternative form of padded cap, built by IsoBlox, since 2014.

Although head protection isn't mandatory for pitchers, the idea has gained momentum in recent seasons. MLB pitchers have been struck in the head by comebackers a dozen times since September 2012, according to ESPN.