• MLB's competition committee approves robot umpires starting in the 2026 season as part of a challenge system.
• Teams can challenge two calls per game, with additional appeals in extra innings.
• The move aims to reduce player ejections related to ball and strike calls.
• Over the last two seasons, a significant percentage of ejections were tied to these calls.
• The Automated Ball/Strike System has been tested in the minor leagues since 2019.

Major League Baseball (MLB) is set to embrace technology with the approval of robot umpires, officially known as the Automated Ball/Strike System (ABS), beginning in the 2026 season. The 11-man competition committee confirmed that human umpires will continue to call balls and strikes, but teams will now have the option to challenge two calls per game. If successful, teams can receive additional appeals during extra innings, aiming to enhance the game experience and accuracy of calls, according to CBS News, SFGate, and Los Angeles Times.

Concerns regarding player conduct have prompted the shift towards robot umpires, with MLB reporting that 61.5% of ejections in the previous season were related to balls and strikes calls. This year, that figure stands at 60.3%. As highlighted by various team managers, including Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt, the integration of this technology represents a significant shift in how players will engage with the game, stating: “It’s going to change the game forever,” according to CBS News, SFGate, and Los Angeles Times.

The ABS technology has been in development since 2019 and has been tested extensively at multiple minor league levels. Initially introduced at the Atlantic League All-Star Game, the system has shown promise through ongoing trials, garnering positive responses. For instance, at Triple-A, the implementation included teams winning 52.2% of ball/strike challenges in the current season. However, the challenge success rate has fluctuated, dropping to 49.5% from last season, indicating that adaptation to this new system will be a learning process, according to CBS News, SFGate, and Los Angeles Times.

As this significant change approaches, MLB officials, including Commissioner Rob Manfred, emphasized that player feedback was instrumental in choosing to adopt the challenge system rather than allowing the ABS to call every pitch, reflecting a concerted effort to balance technology with traditional aspects of the game. The upcoming rule changes, including the adjustment to pitch framing skills for catchers, must also be taken into account, as the challenge format still enables pitch framing tactics to be utilized, according to CBS News, SFGate, and Los Angeles Times.