Umpires will still be responsible for calling balls and strikes during the upcoming MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta, but they’ll have backup from an automated system.
Major League Baseball plans to implement the automatic balls and strikes (ABS) challenge system—previously used in exhibition and spring training games—during the Midsummer Classic on July 15, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
Under this system, each team will have two challenges, with the option to retain them if the challenge is successful.
Only pitchers, catchers, or batters can initiate a challenge, which must be made immediately after the pitch by tapping their cap or helmet. No input from coaches or other players is permitted.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred previously stated that full-time use of robotic umpires wasn’t expected this season. However, with the ABS system having been tested in the minors since 2019, a broader rollout at the major league level appears to be on the horizon.
The league’s competition committee is set to meet later this summer to decide whether to adopt ABS league-wide for the 2026 season.
Rogers noted that player feedback on ABS has been mixed, though most support the challenge-based version over a fully automated strike zone.