Ahead of Opening Day, MLB refreshes iOS apps with new features, revamped UI

MLB.com At Bat 6.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 001)

Major League Baseball (MLB) has some of the most highly-regarded sports apps on the App Store.

Specifically, MLB.com’s At Bat and At The Ballpark software includes rich content such as in-game audio, live video streams, highlights, news and more for the entire MLB season, from Spring Training to the World Series.

With just a few days until Opening Day, MLB has updated both apps with some welcomed and timely new features, including a revamped interface, even deeper Passbook support and more multimedia content, to name just a few of them. Jump past the fold for additional details…

MLB.com At Bat version 6.1 is now available free for the iPhone and iPad, featuring a redesigned interface, a new video section featuring more highlights and search on the iPad, an enhanced  classic games library featuring more than 60 historic games dating back to 1952 and lots more.

MLB.com At Bat 6.1 for iOS (iPad screenshot 002)

Check out the full changelog:

• Multi-platform live audio access for At Bat 13 subscribers (portable to Mac/PC with a valid MLB.com account)
• Universal support for At Bat 13 subscribers, accessible on iPhone, iPad and other supported smartphones and tablets
• New video section featuring more highlights and search (iPad)
• Sortable batting, pitching and fielding statistics (iPad)
• Re-designed individual team pages (iPhone)
• Updated news section interface (iPhone)
• Classic games library featuring more than 60 historic games dating back to 1952 (iPhone and iPad)
• Re-architected navigations (iPhone and iPad)
• Additional push notification options (iPhone & iPad)
• Closed captioning availability for live video (iPhone and iPad)

MLB.com At the Ballpark gets bumped up to version 2.0, having gained the goodies such as a revamped interface, an improved My Journal section, updated tickets section with special offers by club and much more.

MLB.com At the Ballpark 2.0 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 002)MLB.com At the Ballpark 2.0 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 001)

Here’s that changelog;

• Re-architected My Journal section
• Manually enter all of your ballpark visits dating back to 2005
• Upload and share personal photos from your ballpark visits, dating back to 2005
• View team statistics and watch video highlights from games attended
• Ballpark and player entrance music
• Social media clubhouse, including social rewards for select clubs
• Updated tickets section, featuring special offers by club
• Seat and experience upgrade functionality at select ballparks*
• Passbook integration for digital ticket delivery and storage (select clubs only)
• Re-designed user interface

These apps are so good I wish I loved baseball!

MLB.com At the Ballpark 2.0 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 004)MLB.com At the Ballpark 2.0 for iOS (iPhone screenshot 003)

A February 2013 update to MLB At Bat 13 brought sortable statistics, additional push notification options, batting, pitching and fielding statistics and other perks.

MLB previously praised Apple’s Passbook app and said the rapid pace of adoption “really floored us”.

“There is no question our fans want digital tickets,” MLB Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman said last October. “Fans can use the tickets, forward them to a friend, resell them, or even donate them to charity – and they never get lost or left at home.”

It was also reported that the following teams had committed to the Passbook ticketing program: Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates join the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.

Oh, and At Bat 2013 has just launched on BlackBerry 10 so if you’re a fan of the platform, you can download the app right here.