MLB will use Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System in 2026

Next season, the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System will be introduced to the major leagues.

After experimenting with the process in the minors and in spring training, the ABS Challenge System will be a regular feature at the highest level. According to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, “the strong preference from the players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today.” For fans, it will be a similar process to how it played out in spring training with both teams receiving two challenges per game.

There are some extra rules that apply in various circumstances. For the full breakdown, view this article from MLB.com here. For example, if the game enters extra innings, each team will be awarded an additional challenge per inning.

The system uses a T-Mobile 5G Network with cameras around the field to capture the location of the ball. The location is then displayed on the scoreboard so that players and fans alike can see the results.

The batter, pitcher, and the catcher will be the players responsible for challenging the call. Likely one of the holdups over this technology would be how much delay it adds, but the process seems to be fairly streamlined. In the aforementioned MLB article, it mentions that across “Spring Training 2025, there were an average of 4.1 challenges per game, and those challenges took an average of 13.8 seconds.” If the reviews are done as efficiently and quickly as that, it seems like it will be a welcome addition for MLB players. The decision to limit teams to two challenges instead of three played into this decision; when teams only had two challenges, there were fewer delays across the game.

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in meaningful games. With any change to the rules, there are always worries about what it would look like if it happened in a crucial playoff game or on the last pitch of a game. It does, however, empower players to finally have a say if they believe an umpire’s call is wrong.