Major League Baseball Throwing a Curveball With Robotic Umpires

Umpire stepping up to the plate in between pitchers

(Photo/Philip Strong, Unsplash)

The sun beats down on the coastal ballpark in San Diego. The brown camouflage jerseys scatter the field of Petco Park. Yu Darvish stands on the pitching mound eyeing the White Sox batter carefully. The only sound is the faint buzz of the crowd anticipating history. With a 1-2 count Darvish releases the ball slicing through the air. The ball finds its mark in the catcher's glove, undisturbed without a swing of the bat.  The umpire rotates his body, the crowd waiting for their cue, punching out his arm the umpire yells “stri-i-ke”. In response, the crowd rushes into an uproar of cheers. Yu Darvish just made history as the first Japanese MLB player to have 2,000 strikeouts. 

The automated ball-strike (ABS)  system is Major League Baseball's (MLB) newest prospect, looking to make its debut in the 2026 regular season. The new technology will have a large impact on the game including the umpires, fans, and players.

The ABS system is designed to call balls and strikes more accurately in the hope of creating a more fair game.

ESPN reports that in the 2025 spring training season, the ABS system will be tested in 13 ballparks which will host 19 teams. Not only does this give the MLB the chance to modify the technology but it also allows players to get a chance to see how it works. The system will be used as a secondary challenge with a human umpire calling the live pitches. 

Upon a coach's challenge umpires will turn to the ABS system to confirm or overrule a ball or strike called on the field. Instead of analyzing a variety of camera angles, a pitch will be determined by the technology. Baseball fans may appreciate the accuracy of the calls and will settle disputes amongst the crowd when pitches are confirmed or changed by the ABS system.

Both pitchers and batters will reap the benefits of the ABS system. With the technology, advanced batters may be more inclined to not swing at close pitches with the confidence the ABS system will show a ball. On the other hand, with the ability for a secondary challenge on close pitches, the pitchers won't have to worry about the inconsistency of umpires. They will be able to focus on the accurate strike zone which could lead to better pitching averages, more strikes, and fewer walks. 

The ABS system has been tested in Minor League Baseball since 2019. Indications from minor league players show they preferred to use a human umpire to make the live calls and the ABS system as a secondary challenge rather than relying only on the technology.

Umpires are a key representation of the culture and tradition found in baseball. As technology advances in the MLB there is a real fear that human umpires will be completely removed from the game. Without umpires, baseball is at risk of losing the human and emotional connection that stems from the iconic punchouts and the relationship with the fans. 

Arguably the most impacted position will be the catcher. “Framing a pitch” is valued by teams because it can deceive an umpire by calling a strike on a pitch that in actuality would be a ball and can mean the difference between a win or loss. With the introduction of the ABS system that skill will no longer be necessary and therefore could impact catcher’s salaries.

The ABS system may spread farther into the world of baseball. Already being used in the minors and soon to be adopted in the Major leagues, the ABS system may find itself in lower levels of baseball. If the cost of the technology decreases the ABS system may be implemented in college and possibly high school.