MLB approves robot umps for 2026 season, balls and strikes can now be challenged

An 11-member competition committee unanimously voted to approve the use of the Automated Ball/Strike System (ABS) for use in Major League Baseball, meaning "robot umpires" will be officially used starting in the 2026 season. Instead of eliminating human umpires, the system allows players to challenge plate umpires' calls on balls and strikes under specified circumstances. "By retaining most of the old system, the change aims to minimize controversial calls, reduce ejections, and enhance fairness, all while preserving many traditional aspects of the umpires' role in the game.The human element will remain in balls and strikes, with human umpires calling them initially under the rules approved Monday. Nonetheless, pitchers, catchers, or batters can immediately challenge a call after a call, indicating the call, including a tap on the helmet or cap, to challenge the call. There are two challenges allowed for a team per game, and whenever a challenge is successful, in other words, when the ABS reverses the human umpire's call, the team retains the challenge. For each extra inning, a team that has used all its challenges will automatically receive one additional challenge. Challenged calls will be displayed on stadium videoboards.In its application, the strike zone utilized by ABS will be a uniform two‑dimensional rectangular prism positioned over home plate, with varying top and bottom extremes correlated with an individual batter's height (top set at approximately 53.5% of the batter's height; bottom 27% of the batter's height) and a constant width the size of a typical home plate. ABS figures strike based on where a pitch crosses the front-to-back center of the plate, roughly halfway up, halfway down.MLB has been testing ABS in the minor leagues since 2019 and has extended the technology to Triple-A, spring training games, and the 2025 All-Star Game. Throughout those trials, all challenges have been at a successful rate of 50‑52% with the catchers as a certain type of challenger appearing to have been successful as well. The decision, in part, stemmed from the players' clear preference for a challenge‑based system, and, as Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. said, "against full automation."Also Read: Chicago Cubs rookie Matt Shaw missed the game against Cincinnati Reds to attend memorial for Charlie KirkOne of the targets is decreasing instances where players are ejected for arguing strike or ball calls. Fighting balls and strikes has accounted for more than 60 percent of ejections over the past few seasons among players, managers, and coaches. ABS aside, critics say angst will linger over how the strike zone defined by the technology will measure up against how human umpires have traditionally called a game, especially when it comes to breaking pitches and differences in stance. Meanwhile, the change is seen as a long‑overdue step toward uniformity in officiating of crucial situations by some.