Major League Baseball will adopt an automated challenge system in 2026

Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that it will introduce the Automated Ball Strike (ABS) challenge system in the 2026 season for all spring training, championship season, and postseason games. The ABS system uses a network of a dozen cameras to record every pitch thrown, and players can immediately challenge the umpire's decision on whether a pitch is a ball or a strike. If the cameras show any part of the ball touching the batter's strike zone, the pitch will be counted as a strike. Teams will start each game with two challenge opportunities, and they will only lose them if they challenge unsuccessfully. For extra-inning games, a team will get an additional challenge if it has none remaining. MLB has been testing the ABS system at the Triple-A level since 2022 and has used it in spring training and the All-Star Game this year. Other sports, such as football/soccer and tennis, have also been leveraging electronic systems to ensure consistent gameplay rules and scoring.