Overview

• Rob Manfred will formally propose the Automated Ball-Strike System to the MLB competition committee for adoption in the 2026 regular season
• The system was trialed during 2025 spring training at 13 ballparks, giving pitchers, catchers and hitters two challenges per game
• Spring training trials recorded a 52.2 percent overturn rate on challenged calls with an average review time of about 17 seconds
• The MLB Players Association is set to evaluate the proposal and provide feedback through the competition committee to address player concerns
• ABS joins prior innovations like the pitch timer, larger bases and shift limits and must be finalized before the collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026