Overview

• The Joint Competition Committee approved the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge format for full use across spring training, the regular season and the postseason beginning in 2026.
• Teams will start with two challenges per game, retain successful ones, and only the pitcher, catcher or batter may challenge immediately by tapping the helmet; one challenge is restored each extra inning if none remain.
• ABS runs on a T-Mobile 5G private network with 12 Hawk-Eye cameras, and uses a two-dimensional strike zone 17 inches wide with the top at 53.5% and bottom at 27% of each player’s height, which will be independently certified.
• Spring training trials produced about 4.1 challenges per game, a 52.2% overturn rate and roughly 13–15 seconds per review, suggesting minimal pace-of-play impact with improved accuracy.
• Human umpires will continue calling every pitch, with ABS as a corrective layer; the 11-member committee (six owners, four players, one umpire) approved the move, and the MLBPA noted players on the panel were not unanimous.