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Robot umpires approved for MLB in 2026 as part of challenge system
Robot umpires approved for MLB in 2026 as part of challenge system

Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee has approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026. Human umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter. A team retains its challenge if successful. Reviews will be shown as digital graphics on outfield videoboards. Adding robot umps could reduce ejections, as most are related to balls and strikes. The Automated Ball/Strike System has been tested in the minor leagues since 2019. The challenge system allows for ABS without eliminating pitch framing, a skill for catchers. This is MLB's first major rule change since 2024.

AP News
Sep 23, 2025 at 7:05pmWeb
Show threadhyperhopperSep 23, 2025
The crazy part is that we have a system to call the pitches perfectly, they admit that umps are wrong 6% of the time, and they are still doing this halfway nonsense instead of just calling the pitches correctly instead of letting umps continue to be wrong
Show threaddhorkSep 23, 2025
I think the players like the fact that some umps have slightly different zones. As long as the zones are consistent, it can give observant players an edge.
Show threadhyperhopperSep 23, 2025
Nothing in the rules of baseball says umps are allowed to make their own zones. They are instead saying they want to play a different made up game
Show threadDozzi92Sep 23, 2025
The game as it’s been played for 120+ years, though.
Show threadhyperhopperSep 23, 2025

Oh then are you suggesting we should get rid of all the other things from the last 120 years like aluminum bats, cleats, safety bags, helmets, instant replays, etc?

Chess needed rule changes for hundreds of years. And ABS isn’t even a rule change, it’s just playing by the same rules more accurately. I don’t understand why baseball fans are modern day luddites

Show threaddhorkSep 23, 2025

Well no. The rule itself has changed several times over the years. It now reads:

The official strike zone is the area over home plate from the midpoint between a batter’s shoulders and the top of the uniform pants – when the batter is in his stance and prepared to swing at a pitched ball – and a point just below the kneecap.

www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/strike-zone

Which, when you think about it, isn’t really all that precise. Where exactly are the shoulders in a stance? How is a “kneecap” measured? What if the batter hops around a bit when he swings? I hate to break it to you, but the robo-ump is probably guessing too, at least on the high and low calls.

And it’s not so much that they call the rule differently, but they are human and see the strike zone differently.

Show threadsorghumSep 23, 2025
Ditch the challenge system go full replacement for umps behind the plate
Show threadKichaeSep 23, 2025

Not unless and until the entity in control of the robo umps isn’t thr MLB itself. No one should want that in the hands of the ownership. There’d be zero oversight over the zone at all.

This is the league that mysteriously starts swaping out baseballs when certain players are garnering national media attention. Don’t think the strike zones won’t start shifting when it becomes convenient.

Show threadsorghumSep 24, 2025
That’s easy to rectify. Post every call publicly for audit.