Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Well, it finally happened. Robot umps are officially here. On Tuesday, Major League Baseball approved the implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike system (ABS) for the 2026 regular season.
MLB’s joint competition committee, made up of 11 representatives – six owners, four players and one umpire – approved allowing each team two challenges of the home plate umpire’s ball or strike call per game. The challenging team will only lose a challenge if they are unsuccessful. Only the pitcher, catcher or batter may challenge an umpire’s call of ball or strike. All challenges must be made immediately after the call and players may not receive help from any coaches or other players. The ABS system will be used in all Major League Baseball Spring Training, Championship Season, and Postseason games, beginning in 2026.
“The previous rule changes that have been adopted by the Joint Competition Committee have had staying power and created momentum for the game,” Manfred said in a statement. “We used the same process with ABS that started with listening to fans, conducting extensive testing at the minor league level, and trying at every step to make the game better. Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players.
“The strong preference from players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today. I commend the Joint Competition Committee for striking the right balance of preserving the integral role of the umpire in the game with the ability to correct a missed call in a high-leverage situation, all while preserving the pace and rhythm of the game. I thank the Major League Umpires for their collaboration and the Major League Players for their feedback in moving the game forward for the fans.”
Not all of the players are happy about ABS
“The vote of the players on the committee was not unanimous, which was reflective of the broad player sentiment,” the MLB Players Association said in a statement.
The change comes just a few days after Phillies pitcher Walker Buehler expressed his dislike for the Automated Ball-Strike system after dealing with it while rehabbing in the Minor Leagues.
“I think it’s inaccurate,” Buehler said. “I think in most of the stadiums, it’s not even actually on the plate. I think it shifts certain directions in certain ballparks. I think human element is a huge part of this game. I think starting pitchers that have pitched for a long time deserve certain parts of the plate that other guys don’t get.”
Max Scherzer is also probably not too thrilled. Lawrence Butler, however, is probably smiling today.
Many fans, on the other hand, don’t think ABS goes far enough
“If the ABS is ground truth, why does there have to be a challenge system?” one fan asked. “Every pitch should be automatically determined and the plate umpire electrically shocked when the pitch is a strike at which time the umpire can raise his right [hand].”
“Just implement the technology to get every call right, without the need for review,” another wrote. “There is an opportunity to get 100% of calls correct, so why wouldn’t you adopt that?”
“I wonder how many more years until it’s fully automated and we can stop wasting time on this nonsense,” someone else commented.
“Just. Let. The. Machine. Call. All. The. Pitches,” another comment read. “You have made this SO overly compelex @MLB.”
“Why not just give the umpire a device that signals whether the pitch is a strike or ball!?!?” questioned another fan.