Who knew MLB would face problems with players’ heights, entering the 2026 season, and incorporating a new technology? Forget the umpires, the strike zone, even Rob Manfred and the CBA. The players are shrinking – that’s the deal now! We wondered if that was even possible?

Their heights didn’t biologically decrease; the rules just got stricter.

Per BarStools Sports, “The truth has caught up to all the majors leaguers who are under 6 feet… every player is mandated to have their height measured to the highest scrutiny. No more sympathy inches.”

MLB has changed how it measures players’ heights after introducing the ABS to accurately measure their strike zone. This will help the league set individual zones for each player and give a fair hand to the pitcher.

The strike zone will be a two-dimensional rectangle set in the middle of home plate. The edges of the zone will be set to the width of the home plate (17 inches). The top and bottom will be adjusted based on individual height.

Coaches define the strike zone by percentages of a player’s true height, from 27 % at the bottom to 53.5 % at the top.

With the system being ‘super strict,’ sports journalist Joe Pompliano reported, “We’re going to see a lot of height changes this year because, with the rollout of ABS, MLB is now measuring each player’s height down to the millimeter.”

The process won’t allow the players to wear shoes or hats. Their knees will be exposed, keeping their backs against the wall. In fact, MLB has determined a certain time to have these measurements.

“Between 10 am and 12 pm local time on their [players’] appointed day,” wrote Pompliano.

Following these tests, the official MLB website noted several height changes – ‘shrinkage’ to be precise.

Along with the new protocols set in 2026, officials will now be measuring the heights.

Following that, the significant and consistent drop in player heights from self-reported numbers to official measurements suggests this was a deliberate inflation by players, not accidental error.

The organizers will test each player twice to rule out any human error. The measuring equipment is similar to that in doctors’ offices. If there are inconsistencies by more than a few millimeters, there will even be a third measurement. The official height will be an average of the three.

Then, fans noticed a glaring gap in several players’ heights, with Gavin Lux being the most prominent one.

Gavin Lux went from being listed at 6 ft 2 in with the Reds to 5 ft 11 in with the Rays. Connor Wong was 6 ft 1, but in 2026, he is 5 ft 10 in. Tucker Barnhart went from 5 ft 11 in to 5 ft 8 in. There were even smaller discrepancies, too.

The Braves’ Ozzie Albies shrank from 5 ft 8 to 5 ft 7.

With the ABS giving a chance to challenge the pitcher, the pitcher now has a good idea as to where the batter’s strike zone is. For instance, a 3-inch reduction in height lowers the top of the strike zone by approximately 1.6 inches and the bottom by 0.8 inches. And that’s a huge deal on the field.

Players will definitely have to adjust their swings and pitches to fit into that new box.

The system will even help the umpires.

MLB umpires are already learning that they can’t get away with bad calls

MLB’s ABS system has already started to put umpires on hot seats. Each overturned call will only bring more eyes.

The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system is often referred to as “robot umps.” This technology-driven system uses camera tracking to determine if pitches are strikes or balls.

Debuting in MLB in 2026, it allows players to challenge umpire calls, relying on 12-camera Hawk-Eye tracking systems to immediately review the pitch.

During the Spring Games, umpires like CB Bucknor have overturned around 52.2% of challenges, and that is not a good look.

In a Spring Game between the Nationals and Astros, CB Bucknor had 3 calls overturned in the very first inning. Similar to Bucknor, umpire Mitch Trzeciak has had at least five calls overturned.

But let’s understand one thing: human errors will happen. The umpires will get calls wrong, but it is about how many calls they get wrong.

For example, CB Bucknor has an accuracy rate of 92.81%, Laz Diaz has a 92.8%, and Rob Drake has 90.99%.

All this while the league average is between 93 and 94 percent. With the opening day just a few days away, this tech will challenge the pride and vision of many umpires.