MLB Players Will Soon Be Able to Challenge Balls, Strikes

Major League Baseball is now officially set to roll out "robot umpires" for 2026. The league's 11-member competition committee—made up of six owners, four players, and one umpire—gave the green light on Tuesday to an automated strike zone "challenge" system, which Commissioner Rob Manfred said was designed to strike the "right balance" between preserving umpires' authority and correcting missed calls, per CBS News.

• Unlike a fully automated system, the new approach keeps umpires behind the plate making calls in real time. But each team will get two chances per game to challenge a call; if a challenge is successful, teams keep it. Only pitchers, catchers, and batters can trigger a review by tapping their helmet or cap, per CNN. Managers and coaches can't.

• The system, known as ABS (automated balls and strikes), uses Hawk-Eye tech to determine whether a pitch hits a personalized strike zone, calculated using each player's height. MLB has been fine-tuning this system for years in the minors and during spring training.
• It's been met with mostly positive feedback, especially after its recent cameo in the All-Star Game. The league says the process behind ABS involved extensive input from fans and players, with the "challenge" format emerging as the clear favorite among players.
• The committee can put ABS into play with 45 days' notice to the players' union. The change is "likely to cut down on ejections," with 60% this season tied to balls and strikes, per CNN.