Should MLB implement the ABS system?

During the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, the Automated Ball-Strike system was available for players to use in their at-bats. The system, commonly referred to as ABS, allows players to challenge the umpire’s call with a tap of their helmet — or hat, for pitchers — and a 3D model of the strike zone then appears on the jumbotron with the ball’s location relative to the strike zone. Players who win their challenge keep the challenge, and each team is given two for the entirety of the game. It had previously been used in roughly 60 percent of Spring Training games and all minor league games as well.

ABS offers a compromise between the full robo-umpire crowd and the old-school baseball crowd that yearns for human error. It’s one of many changes to baseball that commissioner Rob Manfred has introduced on some level to the sport. Chatter among MLB officials suggests that ABS will likely be used in the 2026 season for the big leagues, although there are still skeptics around the league who would like to see baseball played in its truest form.

This begs the question: Should MLB implement the ABS system in the upcoming season?

The simple answer is yes. MLB has been trying for years to produce more offense, as that translates to more viewership, at least in the eyes of MLB’s New York office. Hence, the pitch clock, which speeds a game up that for years pitchers have been slowing down to their benefit. The ABS system favors batters; Most calls that will be challenged are strikes that batters believe are balls, which may allow their at-bats to continue. Pitchers will rarely challenge the pitch because their counterpart, the catcher, will always have a better idea of the strike zone. Continued at-bats following successful challenges have numerous implications, though all roads ultimately lead to more offense.

Skeptics of ABS believe that it will take away from the human element of the game. Believe me, a former catcher and old-school baseball enthusiast, when I say this: the human element of the game remains intact with ABS. Catchers have stolen pitches for years with good framing technique, adding to the human error that leads to second-guessing umpires. There may be little bearing to this statement, but umpires tell catchers not to frame because they aren’t calling the pitch based on where your glove ends up, and if it ends up in the zone, it makes the umpire look poor.

Umpires are still going to get calls wrong, and catchers are still going to steal strikes at the bottom of the zone; that’s not going to change too much. Batters will use their challenge on egregious calls in low-leverage situations or close calls in high-leverage situations. The latter is more likely, and the former is only likely with certain players, such as Steven Kwan and Juan Soto, who have an excellent understanding of the zone.

Human error will only be erased in big moments where games can flip on their head, and the fate of it rests in the hands of the umpire. There’s nothing wrong with that. Catcher’s framing will still be the most valuable aspect of their game, sabermetrically, but a few calls may go the other way. It’s also worth mentioning that a catcher’s framing may also influence whether a batter calls for a challenge.

Among many other reasons, MLB faces a significant challenge ahead: the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires after the 2026 season. There is already much up for debate with this CBA — salary cap, salary floor, season length — the last thing MLB wants to do is make a mistake going into the 2026 season and have the players at an even further distance in their agreement.

ABS has received some negative feedback from players, as did the pitch clock; however, players adapted to that, and they will likely adapt to ABS as well. So much frustration is directed at umpires daily, and the ABS system allows players to prove themselves right. Many players have stated in interviews that an automated system is beneficial in moderation, which is precisely what the ABS offers.

As of Tuesday morning, MLB has set a committee of six owners, four players, and one umpire to vote on whether ABS will be used in the 2026 season. The vote is expected to pass in favor of ABS’s usage in 2026. Whether you like it or not, an automated system is coming, this season or the next; it’s on the horizon. The good news is that the pitch clock’s guidelines were revised between seasons in response to feedback, and it is likely that the ABS will also undergo changes based on feedback.

As set on changing the sport as Rob Manfred is, he’s not going to disregard player feedback because that puts his job on the line, especially with an impending CBA renewal.

Sean Regenye is a third-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email smr7279@psu.edu.