Overview
- MLB will implement the ABS Challenge System for regular-season games, giving pitchers, batters, or catchers two challenges per team that are retained if successful, with extra-inning replenishment and near-instant reviews powered by Hawk-Eye on a T-Mobile private 5G network.
- Player-specific strike zones will be set by height measurements taken at spring training, and correct or incorrect ball-strike rulings will be shown on broadcasts and ballpark video boards.
- The 2026 calendar features the World Baseball Classic from March 4/5–17 with pools in San Juan, Houston, Tokyo, and Miami, semifinals and final at Miami’s loanDepot Park, Opening Day on March 26, and the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia.
- Nine clubs hired new managers for 2026 — including first-time skippers Kurt Suzuki, Tony Vitello, Blake Butera, Craig Albernaz, Craig Stammen, and Warren Schaeffer — reflecting a younger trend highlighted by Vitello’s jump from the college ranks.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney predicted the Mariners will win the 2026 World Series as Seattle also plans a 50th-anniversary season featuring 50 giveaways and an August 8 ceremony honoring the Top 50 players in franchise history, while the CBA’s Dec. 1, 2026 expiration and a federal inquiry into MLBPA finances remain unresolved.