Overview
- MLB confirms the Automated Balls and Strikes Challenge System will be used in the regular season, giving teams two immediate, cap- or helmet-signaled challenges that are retained if successful and replenished in extra innings.
- ABS reviews will rely on HawkEye tracking and near‑instant delivery to broadcasts and stadium boards via a private 5G network from T‑Mobile, with individualized strike zones set from player measurements at spring training.
- The World Baseball Classic opens March 4 with pool play across multiple cities and concludes with semifinals March 15‑16 and the championship March 17 at loanDepot Park in Miami.
- The 2026 All‑Star Game is scheduled for July 14 in Philadelphia, and MLB will return to Dyersville, Iowa, for another Field of Dreams game.
- Collective bargaining talks loom with the current MLB‑MLBPA agreement expiring Dec. 1, 2026, while a U.S. Attorney’s Office review of union finances remains an active factor.