Since the beginning of baseball, calling balls and strikes has always struck controversy amongst players, coaches, and umpires. This ABS can help prevent players and coaches from getting into conflicts with the umpires, especially in high-pressure situations. There were almost 200 ejections handed out during the 2024 regular season. According to a report from Close Calls Sports, more than 20 ejections were caused by a bad ball or strike call. Arguing over balls and strikes is a common way to be ejected in the MLB. The ABS will bring that number down significantly.
For the first time, major league players will be allowed to challenge balls and strikes during some spring training games. With the new Hawk-Eye technology, pitchers, catchers, and batters can signal to the umpire if they disagree with a call. The fans have expressed concern that this could lead to games taking longer. The challenge system takes less than 20 seconds and it is very efficient. Each team is awarded two challenges per game. If a team decides to challenge the call and wins the challenge, they retain that challenge. If the team challenges the call and loses that decision, they lose that challenge for the game. Players have to be cautious when they use one of their challenges.
The ABS will be very useful for players, but what are the exact dimensions of the strike zone that ABS will detect. The plate is 17 inches wide. The top end of the zone is at 53.5% of the player’s height, while the bottom is at 27% of the player’s height. The depth of the zone is 8.5 inches from both the front and back of the plate.
The ABS has been used in the minor leagues for a while now. It was introduced in 2019 during a single-A fall league tournament. It has then slowly crept to the big leagues as the ABS has received positive feedback and is liked amongst minor league coaches and players. In 2024, during triple-A baseball, the ABS was featured for the entire season. MLB took notice and decided to give MLB players a try by allowing its use during spring training games.
The earliest that ABS can be used during the regular season will be in 2026. The MLB wants players and coaches to get familiar with the technology before making it a part of games during both the regular season and the postseason.
