Major League Baseball (MLB) has added the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System for the 2026 season, adding an element of precision to the game never before seen. In a sport notoriously known for subjective calls on the field, MLB is attempting to minimize bad calls by use of technology over human judgement. While the ABS system has gotten faster to use and provides video results that are irrefutable, new questions arise that aren’t being discussed as much as they should be when looking at the bigger picture. Specifically, is this the beginning of a slippery slope, one where human umpires will eventually be replaced entirely by technology? And as MLB ramps up the ABS system, where does that leave established umpires doing their best when they are shown up by ABS in-stadium video evidence showing how bad the ump missed the call? The spirit of baseball also comes into question — while getting calls “perfect” might seem to be preferred, it also adds a mechanical component to the game that replaces previous human calls that might — or might not — go your way.
Robots over humans?
Should Major League umpires be worried about their future? If I were an ump, I sure would be, as it is clear that the ABS system offers distinct advantages over the human eye, leaving umpires at a huge disadvantage. In fact, as MLB rolls out the new challenge system, umpires are being regularly humbled each game when their calls are overturned on the in-stadium scoreboard for everyone to see. Keep in mind umpires are very proud of their job, as all MLB umpires go through rigorous umpire school, and are required to log years of minor league games before ever getting to call a big league game. Now, for the first time, that credibility and respect are being cast aside — not exactly the best way to empower your employees.
The ABS system, depending on how it is received this year, could soon take the place of human umpires entirely and dramatically alter the game. New technologies currently allow for absolute precision with balls and strikes, and could soon be responsible for foul ball accuracy, and bang-bang calls on close calls on the bases. Do we want a future game where there are no human umpires on the field, but instead cameras, sensors, and other technology tools officiating the game? A game where animated umpire calls that add spirit to the game are replaced by monotone, mechanical output decisions delivered with no feeling?
All of this brings me to my final big question — is it perfection we are after, or does the subjective nature of human decision-making add the most to the game? The truth is MLB umpires get about 99% of the calls correct (an amazing feat in itself), and the times they do miss often adds flavor to the game by means of crowd involvement, on the fly coaching decisions, and even manager-umpire on-field disputes that bring energy to the game. Replacing all of that with a boring graphic on the big screen showing a baseball hitting a corner of the strike target might get the call right, but lose a lot of the human component that makes baseball a great American game that has endured for over 150 years.
Final thoughts
Often when new technologies emerge, we quickly forget what we just had, and the value of what is being replaced. There is no doubt that the efficacy of ABS calls are better than human umpires, but does adding this kind of element to the game add, or take away from, the subjective nature of baseball? While some fans are adamant that getting it right is always better than a human umpire missing a call, critics worry about adding too much technology, minimizing the value of human umpires, and the overall effect of replacing the energy that real umpires bring in exchange for bland, non-feeling computer evidence.
drstankovich.com
