Big-league robot umpires are set to alter baseball
The automated system will let players contest balls and strikes
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System replay is shown on the scoreboard during an Major League Baseball spring training game. | Credit: Matt Dirksen / Chicago Cubs / Getty Images When the crack of the bat signals opening day for the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season today, there will be a new addition to the diamond: robot umpires.
The technological change has been fiercely debated among sports enthusiasts for years but has finally made its way to the big leagues. It marks one of the biggest changes in the history of modern baseball. What are robot umpires?
While the term makes it sound like robots are replacing the game’s human umpires, this is not the case. The robot umpires aren’t on the field. Instead, they are a “network of specialized cameras set up in every ballpark to track the baseball’s exact location,” said The New York Times .
The system, officially called the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System, will allow teams to challenge balls and strikes. Each team starts the game with two challenges it can use throughout the game. By tapping his head, a pitcher, catcher or batter can request to “summon the robot umpire and see whether the human behind home plate missed a ball or strike call,” said the Times.