Major League Baseball announced a huge shift for 2026 with the arrival of a challenge system for balls and strikes as determined by a high-tech camera system. The so-called robot umpires, officially known as the automated ball-strike (ABS) system, has been used in Triple A since 2022 and was tried out in spring training 2025. The challenge system will give each team two challenges of the home plate umpire’s strike zone, and they will retain their challenge if the call is overturned. When a challenge is issued, the umpire will review how the camera system called the pitch and that determination will be final.
Challenges can only be issued by the pitcher, the catcher, or the batter and must be made immediately following the pitch in question. Players are barred from receiving any help or direction from others in issuing the challenge.
The competition committee, which, per the collective bargaining agreement, is made up of six appointees from MLB, four players, and one umpire, did not have a unanimous vote, with at least one player opposing the rule change.
It will be interesting to see how this impacts the game moving forward. With limited challenges, will teams implement strategies about when to allow players to challenge? Will certain players be stopped from challenging altogether? Time will tell.
