On Sep. 23, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that it will be bringing Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) technology to all its ballparks and games beginning with the 2026 season. But what is this technology? Is it new? In this article, we’ll break down MLB’s new ABS system, explaining what it is, how it works and how we got here.

What is ABS?

ABS uses twelve cameras placed around the ballpark to triangulate the position of every pitch as it travels from the pitcher to the catcher. Once the human umpire calls the pitch a “Ball” or a “Strike,” the pitcher, batter or catcher can challenge the call. They must do so by tapping their helmet and must do so immediately (untimely challenges are rejected).

Once that happens, the stadium waits in anticipation as a computer graphic shows where the pitch was located in the strike zone. If the original call was correct, the challenging team loses one of the two challenges they get throughout the course of the game. If the original call was incorrect, the call is reversed and the team retains its challenge (similar to the challenge process in most other sports).

Since teams only get two unsuccessful challenges per game, players are incentivized to use them on obviously incorrect calls where there is a high chance the challenge will be returned. This introduces a new element of strategy to the game: it’s probably not worth it to challenge borderline pitches unless the game situation demands it.

To make ABS possible, MLB had to change the way the strike zone worked. Pre-ABS, the strike zone was the width of the plate and extended vertically from the batter’s knees to the midpoint between their shoulders and the top of their pants. (Umpires, especially at lower levels, commonly use the bottom of the letters on a team’s uniform as an approximation). Now, the zone is determined by a batter’s height. If any part of the ball crosses the plate between 27-53.5% of a batter’s height (before they settle into their batting stance), the pitch will be called a strike. 

How did we get here?

Originally, ABS was tested in the independent Atlantic League in 2019, where it encountered mixed success. Issues with the technology meant that pitches that bounced before crossing the plate registered as strikes, though human umpires would (and did) overrule the system. Then-Atlantic League president Rick White said that he was “relatively confident that [robot umpiring was] going to spread through organized baseball,” which it did several years later.

The challenge system we see today was first proposed in October 2019 by Lindsay Imber and Tim McCaffrey of Close Call Sports. In their article, Imber and McCaffrey proposed the system MLB would eventually adopt, advocating for a compromise between the traditionalist no-computers-allowed approach and the Atlantic League’s replace-humans approach. They note that “technology can assist in the ball/strike call mission,” while also acknowledging “that the very system baseball presently uses… is prone to error.”

Since their article, MLB’s HawkEye technology has improved from a two-inch margin of error to a half-inch margin of error.

This reduced margin of error has enabled ABS to find practical use in high-level baseball. In 2023, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and Triple-A teams tested both the no-humans-allowed approach and the challenge system (though teams were permitted three challenges each instead of the present two). By the end of 2024, MiLB had determined that the challenge system was better and adopted it. In 2025, MLB adopted the technology for Spring Training games and the All-Star Game. In 2026, the technology will be adopted for the full MLB season. 

ABS and broader ball-tracking technology represents an exciting development for baseball. As an umpire, I’m excited for the future of ABS (even though there’s a chance it takes my job). While technology’s uncertainty means the human aspect of officiating is still necessary, technology can help us correct for human error on close calls. The ABS challenge system seems like a great way to do this for baseball.

As the 2023 Major League Baseball season approaches, Kansas City Royals fans are eager to see what their team has in store. Following their World Championship in 2015, the Royals have had seven consecutive losing seasons. Despite some major changes in the team, it doesn’t seem that there is much reason to believe this season will be a dramatic shift from that narrative, but time will tell.

One of the most significant changes for the Royals was the firing of Mike Matheny and hiring of Matt Quataro as the new team manager. Quataro brings a wealth of experience to the team, having managed the minor league Tampa Bay Rays operation. He was highly desired in the current MLB hiring pool. The Royals are lucky to have him.

The player, Bobby Witt Jr., seeks to continue building his career since being drafted second overall in 2019. After hitting 20 home runs last year, it’s likely his goal will be to perform with even higher results. SBNation lists him as the team’s biggest strength going into the season, despite only being 22 years old.

The Royals are led by veteran Salvador Perez, who is still holding it down as catcher. Perez is surrounded by a strong core of younger players. Quataro was interviewed by the Kansas City star about expectations for the veteran catcher. “We want him in the lineup as many days as possible and we’re going to do our best to pick our spots to figure out how we make that work,” he said.

The Royals will face stiff competition in the American League Central, which includes perennial playoff contenders like the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians. However, with their new additions, talented young players, and skilled returners, the Royals have the potential to surprise their audience and go for a championship season.

Overall, Royals fans have reason to be excited and hopeful for the upcoming season. With a new manager, talented roster, and renewed sense of purpose, the team is in a position to make some noise and compete at a high level. It could be a prosperous year for Kansas City baseball fans.

Ahead of the 2017 MLB season, the MLB and the MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) officially passed the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that would last for the next 5 years. This guarantees some form of representation on behalf of the players in terms of their desires for changes within the rules of the league. 

Tensions between the MLBPA and Commissioner, Rob Manfred, have only grown since the previous CBA was signed, most notably due to the lack of punishment given to the Houston Astros who were caught cheating in 2019. This has led to the MLB’s fourth official lockout, with the previous only lasting 32 days in 1990. The 2022 lockout that concluded on March 11 lasted 99 days, impacting the regular season. 

It is widely accepted by members of the MLBPA and fans of the league that the lockout only occurred because Manfred wanted to create leverage in the bargaining decisions. MLB journalist Jeff Mount listed the following as a major reason for the debacle of the 2022 season: “He could have stopped treating the players like the enemy. Manfred made it clear from the start that he preferred stomping the union into submission to collaborating with it to improve the game.” 

The lockout has made the gap between the MLB and other major sports organizations that much clearer and wider. The MLB has been constantly riddled with mismanagement within the clubs, doping allegations and a lack of marketing or pride on behalf of the clubs and the league as a whole. 

The lockout brought the MLB back into the spotlight of the media, and renowned sports analyst, Stephen A. Smith, has begun to question the MLB’s relevancy in the grander scope of sports media. In the last decade, national ratings and revenue for the league have been trending downwards and it’s only getting worse. In fact, one of the main points discussed in the newly signed CBA was to raise the minimum salary, which was and still is the lowest of the major sports leagues. 

The game of baseball is hailed as “America’s Pastime” with years of tradition and nostalgia that have kept its fans around for lifetimes. CJ Kelly from HowTheyPlay.com declares that “baseball is dead” with the following argument: “The average viewer on a local broadcast is over 55, and the average age of the season ticket holder is only slightly younger. Many defenders of the present state of the game would point to two issues to disprove my point: huge local TV deals and rising minor league attendance. That just proves my point further: The game is becoming regional in focus. A national apathy towards baseball is taking hold. Worst of all, kids are not playing anymore.”

It’s clear that Kelly understands the MLB’s need to adapt. If they can come up with an effective and broad marketing strategy that puts the league’s stars center stage, as well as different solutions to speed up the game such as a time limit between pitches, cheaper concessions and making regular-season games have value again, then it is entirely possible that the MLB can regain the popularity that the league had not too long ago. 

The Kansas City Royals’ TV ratings have taken a nosedive since their World Series victory in 2015, and the Kansas City Chiefs benched the Royals in the eyes of the public with the arrival of Patrick Mahomes. However, the 2021 Royals are now looking to shock the world, as they have yet to lose a series.

The underdog charm of the Royals is back better than ever. They are continually ranked low in the official Major League Baseball power rankings, yet they are only behind the Dodgers for first place in the American League. Despite their record, they are in the 20th spot on the MLB power rankings. This was the same story back in 2014 and 2015, making fans excited for a potential ending similar to that of the 2015 season. 

When the 2021 season began, the front office signed Salvador Perez to a four-year contract extension through 2026 worth $82 million. So far, Perez has put his money where his mouth is as he has already accomplished his 1000 career hit milestone, a collection of home runs and excellent fieldwork in the catcher position. His success has turned into team success, proving his value as a veteran leader in the clubhouse. 

Chief’s superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes became a part owner of the Royals following the signing of his half a billion dollar deal, and he has stated his excitement about the boys in blue.

“I mean, I think we have the best record in AL right now,” Mahomes said. “I know it’s by a couple of percentage points, but to see them starting so hot and really getting contributions from everybody on the team gives me optimism of having a great run. It’s carried over since spring training and will hopefully carry through the rest of the season.”

The Royals played the Tampa Bay Rays and begun a series against the Detroit Tigers, a division rival in the AL Central. They look to continue their hot streak, and manager Mike Matheny said he is optimistic. 

“It’s a long season,” Matheny said. “You’re going to have the ups and downs. But to see some of the ups that we want and that level of expectation. To see that I think is very important for a team. A team that has high expectations for the rest of the way.”

If the Royals are able to win both of the series against the Rays and Tigers, it should give them the edge they need to move up the power rankings into a position that they are more deserving of than being at 20.