Ruben Bolling 🪲

Now on Boing Boing: my rant about MLB’s inane new ball-strike challenge system.

“a worst-of-both-worlds compromise between accuracy and tradition”

https://boingboing.net/2026/03/23/major-league-baseball-can-now-call-balls-and-strikes-with-100-accuracy-but-will-only-use-the-system-in-the-most-annoying-way-possible.html

Major League Baseball can now call balls and strikes with 100% accuracy... but will only use the system in the most annoying way possible

MLB's new ABS system can call every pitch perfectly. Instead, they made a challenge system that slows the game down.

Boing Boing
Mar 23 at 5:43pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadbobocubedMar 23

@rubenbolling

It's going to be maddening. I thought that the rectangle was staying, along with the ball location, but without the ball/strike indication. Is the rectangle really going away completely? WTAF??

Show threadBrian TatoskyMar 23
@rubenbolling No they can't. https://youtu.be/lrZoc5riYhQ for some actual good explanation of the system. And because the MLB and TV zones are different, they opted to get rid of the TV zone display. (Why they don't make the zone the *same* is beyond me).
Robo Ump's MLB Debut - Baseball's ABS Challenge System Test in Spring and What it Means for TV Zone

YouTube
Show threadAlex Lubertozzi 🇺🇦Mar 23
@rubenbolling Yep, I also hope this is just a transition to turning over balls and strikes to the computers. I’m amazed at how many MLB players are against it, though. It’s weird.