The robot umps are coming. Major League Baseball’s competition committee Tuesday approved an automated balls and strikes challenge system for next season.
The full ABS system (in which robot umps call every pitch) and the challenge system have both been tested over the past six years, first in the independent Atlantic League and then at all levels of the minor leagues. MLB players also used during MLB spring training and the All-Star Game this year. The challenge system is a compromise between full ABS and human umpires. Fans and players preferred the challenge system.

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With the challenge system, humans still call every pitch, with teams permitted two challenges per game. Teams will keep their challenges if they are successful. Teams may also receive an additional challenge if they don’t have one at the start of each extra inning.
The challenges, which can be asked for by a pitcher, catcher or batter by tapping the top of their helmet or hat, occur quickly, with a ruling coming down within 20 seconds. Edwin Díaz, for example, got a ball call overturned for strike three to end the top of the ninth inning in the All-Star Game. MLB says that, throughout all of their experiments, there have been around four challenges per game, averaging around 14 seconds. So, it will add around a minute of gameplay but add much more accurate calls of balls and strikes.
“I thought it was great,” National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “I think that Dan (Iassogna) got a lot of the calls right. There was a couple that were overturned. I thought it was great. The fans enjoy it. I thought the players had fun with it. And there’s a strategy to it, if it does get to us during the season. But I like it. I think it’s good for the game. I’m OK with it.”
The 11-person competition committee is made up of six owners, four players and one umpire. Commissioner Rob Manfred has been an ABS proponent. Installing the system was collectively bargained by the league and the umpires’ union last December.





