Major League Baseball begins using the automated ball-strike challenge system this season, allowing teams to appeal certain calls while human umpires handle most pitches. Each team receives two challenges per game, retaining successful ones. The system, tested extensively in the minors, features personalized strike zones for players.
Major League Baseball has rolled out the ABS challenge system for the 2026 regular season, marking a step toward automated umpiring without fully replacing human officials. Teams can challenge ball and strike calls, with only the hitter, pitcher, or catcher initiating by tapping their head immediately after the pitch. Each team starts with two challenges per game and keeps them if successful, similar to instant replay reviews. The process, displayed on stadium scoreboards and broadcasts, takes about 15 seconds per challenge. The strike zone is tailored to each player: the top set at 53.5% of their height and the bottom at 27%, over a two-dimensional plane across the middle of the 17-inch plate. This setup, refined through years of minor league testing, aims to correct egregious errors without altering the game's pace significantly. Yankees captain Aaron Judge expressed enthusiasm, telling MLB.com last month, “I'm excited for it. I think it's going to be a little weird, because I'm not an umpire. I'm a hitter. I've never been in the box trying to think about, 'Is this a ball? Is that a strike?' If I feel like I can hit it, I feel like it's a strike.” In spring training, teams averaged 4.5 challenges per game, with a 53.1% success rate—45.7% for batters and 59.5% for fielders, mostly catchers. Pitchers succeeded least often, at just 5% of fielder challenges. About 1% of all pitches faced review, and Triple-A data from last year showed roughly four challenges per game with a 49.5% overturn rate. Catchers proved most effective due to their positioning, and data suggests challenging may be a developing skill, with top Triple-A performers like P.J. Higgins at 77% success and Riley Tirotta at 67%. Teams may set internal guidelines on usage, balancing early-game risks against late-inning leverage as they adapt during the season's start.
