ABS system will debut in 2026 and will change the way of challenging balls and strikes in Major League Baseball

United States - The 2026 season will mark a technological milestone in baseball with the official implementation of the Automated Ball and Strike System (ABS), a tool designed to review umpire ball and strike calls using advanced technology. The system, tested for years in minor leagues and preseason games, seeks to balance technological precision with the tradition of human umpiring.

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The ABS will officially debut on the opening day when the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees, in the first game broadcast by Netflix within the Major League Baseball schedule.

How will the system work?

The ABS accurately tracks the location of each pitch relative to the batter's personalized strike zone. If a player believes the umpire's decision is incorrect, they can immediately challenge it by patting their helmet or cap. An animation with the result will be displayed almost instantly on the stadium screens and on the television broadcast. The game resumes quickly after the review, which in preseason tests lasted on average just 13.8 seconds.

Number of Challenges and Key Rules

Each team will start the game with two challenges. If the game extends to extra innings, the clubs that start an inning without challenges will receive an additional one. Challenges can only be requested by the batter, the pitcher, or the catcher, and must be made immediately after the pitch. If the review confirms the original decision, the team loses the challenge. If it is reversed, they keep it.

Where it will be used

The system will be available in all MLB stadiums, with the exception of special games played at alternate venues that do not have the necessary infrastructure. It will also be used in the postseason.

Impact on the game

Test data indicates that the system does not alter the pace or the number of pitches per turn. In Triple-A and preseason games, the average pitches per plate appearance remained practically the same before and after the ABS.

Surveys of fans during spring training showed that 72% perceived the system as an improvement in their experience and 69% supported its permanent adoption.

Why the challenge format was chosen

Evaluations in minor leagues showed that players, managers, and fans prefer the challenge model over a fully automated system. The format maintains the human element of refereeing and avoids drastic changes in the game's dynamics, such as an excessive increase in walks observed in tests with full automation.

Technology and Precision

The ABS strike zone is adjusted to each player's height: the upper limit corresponds to 53.5% of their height and the lower limit to 27%. The system measures the pitch in relation to the center of the plate, which produced more consistent results than previous versions. Technical failures are infrequent: in more than 88,000 launches analyzed during testing, only four could not be processed.

Transparency and control

The stadiums must display on the scoreboard the number of remaining challenges per team. In addition, the league implemented delays in data transmission and video monitoring to prevent any attempt at undue advantage. The challenge statistics will be officially recorded and available for analysis, allowing evaluation of which players or receivers are most effective at challenging decisions.