Visual Performance Research in Baseball

Background: Vision is important for baseball players, and this study compiled relevant literature to explore the impact of vision on baseball. Methodology: A systematic literature search was conducted across the PubMed and Airiti Library databases, following the PRISMA guidelines. The search employed keywords including "Baseball AND Vision", "Gait AND Myopia", "Dynamic Visual Acuity AND Baseball", "Predict AND Baseball", "Refractive Error AND Baseball", "Laser AND Baseball" and "Dynamic Vision Acuity AND Baseball [in Chinese]." After screening for relevance and quality, a total of 36 articles were ultimately included for analysis. Results: In baseball batting performance, visual stability is a core capacity for elite players, with moderate-to-high myopia (> 2.00 D) significantly impairing seam recognition and batting quality. Studies have shown that although refractive surgery improves static vision, it does not significantly improve batting performance metrics and carries the risk of glare. In the future, it is necessary to clarify the causal relationship between different degrees of refraction and corrective methods on the effectiveness of striking in high-ecological validity scenarios. In terms of defense and Locomotor mechanisms, visual quality affects center of gravity stability and eye-hand/foot coordination, while moderate to severe myopia increases gait variability and compensatory risk. Defensive interceptions rely on predictive control of visual expansion and auditory integration. Subsequently, a cross-sensory compensatory model should be constructed to explore the spatial localization mechanism when vision is limited, and to verify whether dynamic visual acuity (DVA) is a key variable in level promotion. In terms of decision-making efficiency and training, high-level players have excellent information processing efficiency, and uncorrected vision defects can increase cognitive load. Through neuroplasticity training, contrast sensitivity and actual combat performance can be optimized. In the future, virtual reality and actual combat simulation should be combined to explore the interactive effects of different corrective tools and training on competitive levels. Conclusions: For baseball, visual management should shift from simple vision correction to the pursuit of visual stability and neurocognitive integration, and through high ecological validity research and training, visual indicators should be transformed into core advantages to improve competitive performance and player selection.