Major League Baseball is considering the implementation of robot umpires as part of a challenge system, with potential testing in spring training next year and potential regular-season use by 2026. The automated ball-strike system has been under experimentation in the minor leagues since 2019, with ongoing adjustments being made to define the strike zone accurately.
Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed the need for a spring training test before introducing the system to the big leagues, highlighting the progress made in technology precision. The ABS currently determines strikes based on the ball crossing the midpoint of the plate, with adjustments made to the top and bottom of the strike zone percentages.
