When I imagine robotic umpires, I can’t help but think about one of my favorite movies: I, Robot. If you haven’t seen it (what are you waiting for?), the movie is set in 2035, and humanoid robots are created to make humans’ lives easier as butlers and protectors of the community. Well, wouldn’t you know it, (spoiler alert) the robots turn on the human race, and all hell breaks loose in America until Will Smith saves the day – again.
OK, maybe that’s an overly pessimistic outlook on MLB’s new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, but I’m willing to give it a try. I mean, literally anything is better than whatever Angel Hernandez has been doing behind the plate his whole career.
Nearly everything in our lives is “Hey, Alexa…” or “Hey, Siri…” these days, and even businesses are using AI more than ever to be effective in the “we want it now!” landscape. In the midst of that rush, we sometimes sacrifice accuracy to achieve a satisfactory result, which is occasionally acceptable to us.
Mistakes are a part of life, but when you make the same mistake over and over again, it becomes a tendency. Perhaps MLB had gotten far too comfortable with human error tendencies throughout the decades, and now it sees an opportunity to be perfect in the golden age of technology.
Will MLB Use the ABS Challenge System in the 2026 Season?
Yes, MLB will use the ABS Challenge System for the first time during the 2026 season. This technology has been tested in the minor leagues for a few seasons, and it will now be used in all games, including the postseason. Teams will be given two challenges apiece to use during games.
One of the interesting caveats of the new rule is that managers cannot challenge a balls-and-strikes call – only the batter, pitcher, or catcher. The challenge must be issued by one of those three players immediately after the umpire’s call, without help from the bench. A player will tap his cap/helmet to indicate a challenge to the previous call.
T-Mobile is in charge of the MLB ABS Challenge System, using the Hawk-Eye technology to monitor the exact location of each pitch, as it relates to each individual batter’s strike zone. One of the coolest aspects is for the fans in attendance and watching at home, as we’ll all see an animated version of the exact pitch location – similar to how soccer uses its goal-line technology.
Ultimately, the goal is to get an “ironclad” ball or strike call within seconds to keep the game moving swiftly. This has certainly been a priority for MLB, as it tries to keep fans tuned in to the game for longer periods of time.
Where Else is Technology Used in Sports?
MLB’s ABS Challenge System is just the latest dose of technology that is being implemented into the game. The NFL and college football have extensive replay systems with multiple angles, as does soccer with its VAR (Video Assistant Referee) – the latter being very similar to what MLB will use. Even the NBA and NHL have found ways to implement this technology into the game. The NHL, in particular, has been wildly innovative with offside calls, which have brought back numerous goals that otherwise would have stayed.
If you’re a baseball nut like me, you’re already familiar with all of the different ways stats can help your research for betting purposes. Several websites have taken things a step further, implementing the data and turning it into predictions for player outcomes based on previous performances in similar settings – pitcher handedness, pitch type, etc. Even bookmakers have been adjusting lines and totals, based on who the home-plate umpire is in a particular game.
Technology in Sports Moving Forward
It has been very tough in recent years for officials to duck and hide from bad performances.
Home-plate umpires in MLB have been incredibly unique to the sports world, as their decisions could impact a game significantly in a way that other sports couldn’t, and now they are getting the ultimate crackdown in real-time. The NBA has a “Two Minute Report” that grades officials in the final two minutes of a game, as well as the NFL, with its “Behind the Stripes” reports that detail every call/missed call from officials.
It feels like everyone in the sports world can benefit from groundbreaking technology moving forward. Making the definitive correct calls should be at the forefront of every single discussion, and at the end of the day, you really can’t argue with the truth.
