MLB will use the challenge system for bullets and strikes throughout the 2026 season

Robot referees are called to the big leagues next season.

Tuesday, the Committee for the Competition of Major League Baseball approved Tuesday the use of the automated ball / strike system in the major leagues in 2026.

Human plaque referees still call bullets and strikes, but teams can contest two calls per game and get additional calls in additional sleeves. Challenges must be met by a launcher, a receiver or a striker – reported by pressing their helmet or their cap – and a team retains its challenge in the event of success. Critics will be displayed in the form of digital graphics on the outdoor field videos.

New York Yankees Voltueur Austin Slater, one of the four players in the Competition Committee, said three had voted in favor after obtaining 22 of the 30 teams. The six representatives of management voted in favor.

“I think that with all kinds of technology, there is no 100% certainty of the precision of the system,” said Slater. “I think the same thing can be said of referees. So I think that only understands the impact that technology will have and if we were or not ready to live with this error associated with the system, even if the error is very, very tiny.”

Adding UMP robot is likely to reduce ejections. MLB said that 61.5% of ejections among players, managers and coaches last year were linked to bullets and strikes, just like 60.3% this season until Sunday. The figures include ejections for derogatory comments, the launch of equipment while protesting calls and inappropriate driving.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who heads the American League in ejections for the fifth consecutive year, called “inevitable” adoption.

“Throughout the year, I was not completely on board or exactly how it will be implemented, but it will be here and I hope it is a good thing,” he said. “Many things that Major League Baseball has done, I think, have really succeeded in the changes they have brought and I hope that is another of them.”

Guardians director Stephen Vogt said players will have to adapt.

“You can like it, does not like it, it doesn’t matter,” said Vogt while Cleveland was preparing to open a critical three -game series with Detroit. “It happens. It will change the game. It will change the game forever.”

ABS, which uses Hawk-Eye cameras, has been tested in minor leagues since 2019. The independent Atlantic league tested the system during its 2019 All-Star and MLB game installed the Arizona autumn league technology this year. The ABS was tried at eight of the nine ball parks of the Low-A Southeast League in 2021, then went to Triple-A in 2022.

In Triple-A at the start of the 2023 season, half of the games used robots for ball calls / strikes and half had human decisions subject to team calls to abs.

MLB switched to Triple-A to a system of all blows on June 26, 2024, then used the challenge system this year at 13 spring ballots welcoming 19 teams for a total of 288 exhibition matches. The teams won 52.2% of their ball / strike challenges (617 out of 1,182).

“I love it. I loved spring training,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “Not all the players, but most of the players, if you ask them, they really liked it. I think everyone is responsible. It keeps everyone on their guard.”

4 of the 5 successful challenges in the MLB All-Star game

In Triple-A this season, average challenges per match increased to 4.2 from 3.9 to Sunday and the success rate dropped to 49.5% by 50.6%. The defenses succeeded 53.7% of the challenges this year and offenses in 45%.

During the first test during the Big League stars match, four of the five challenges of the plaque referee Dan Iassogna succeeded in July.

Triple-A teams do not obtain additional challenges in additional sleeves. The proposal approved on Tuesday included a provision giving teams an additional challenge to each round if he has no challenges to play.

“Throughout this process, we worked on the deployment of the system in an acceptable way for players,” said Commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. “The strong preference of players for the challenge format regarding the use of technology to call each pitch has been a key factor to determine the system we are announcing today.”

It will be the first major change of the MLB rule since the scanning adjustments in 2024. These included a pitch clock, larger bases and restrictions on defensive changes and launcher’s deputy dispensing such as picking attempts.

The challenge system introduces ABS without eliminating pitch framing, a subtle art where the catchers use their body and their glove to try to look like boundaries to strikes. The framing has become an essential competence for league size, and it was worrying that full -fledged abs make strong obsolete defensive sensors.

In addition to Slater, the other players of the competition committee are Corbin Burnes of Arizona and Cal Raleigh by Zac Gallen and Seattle, with the Casey Mize of Chicago Cubs in Detroit. Union representatives make their decisions according to the contribution of players from the 30 teams.

Bill Miller is the representative of the referee.