Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred will propose to MLB’s competition committee that the automated ball-strike system be implemented for the 2026 season, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, on June 4.
Manfred: MLB will propose automated ball-strike challenge system for 2026 at the major-league levelhttps://t.co/lXLDfWR4Sw
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 4, 2025
“Barring a change of heart inside Manfred’s group, ABS appears likely to arrive in the big leagues next year. The league office has enough votes on the 11-person committee — which is also made up of player representatives and one umpire — to push through what it wants,” Drellich wrote.
Manfred also spoke at the MLB headquarters in New York City about his desire to see the ABS in MLB next season.
“I think that teams are really positive about ABS. You know, I do have an unscientific system that I use — my email traffic — and my distinct impression is that using ABS in spring training has made people more prone to complain about balls and strike calls via email, referencing the need for ABS. That is undoubtedly true, undoubtedly true, Manfred said.
It’s important to note that umpires would still make the majority of the calls, but each team would start the game with two challenges. The teams would also retain their challenges if they were successful.
The Players might not want this next season as they’ve been reluctant to rush into it, saying they wanted to wait until 2027 for the ABS to go into effect. The player’s stance was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today on June 1.
Per MLB.com, The ABS uses computer-vision technology to track the trajectory of pitches and determine if they cross through the strike zone. A player (batter, pitcher, or catcher) can challenge the initial call by the umpire if they feel that it’s incorrect.
If the challenge is made, an automated replay system shows the pitch location on a scoreboard, and the umpire confirms or overturns the original call.
The ABS was tested during this past spring training and it has also been fully used in Minor League Baseball at the Triple-A level since 2024. It was first used in Independent Baseball in the Atlantic League in 2019 and it first started being tested in 2023 in Triple-A.
Photo: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. talks prior to Game Two of the Wild Card Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on October 04, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
