MLB’s new automated ball-strike system may be winning over fans with its accuracy. Reportedly, during the first 47 games of the 2026 MLB regular season, the ABS challenge system identified 94 wrong calls that were subsequently overturned. But the umpires tasked with overseeing it are raising alarms about a concerning anomaly in its operation.

“Now, there are hourly employees throughout Major League Baseball. The question a couple of umpires raised was whether hourly employees should be in charge of such an important thing and matching those strike zones,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal shared via Foul Territory.

The automated system needs to know every batter’s strike zone to work correctly. Since a tall player like Aaron Judge has a vastly different zone than Jose Altuve, outside testers measure the players in spring, and MLB double-checks the data.

Top Stories

MLB

Teary-Eyed Dodgers Star Forced to Miss Father’s Funeral Amid “Extremely Difficult” Situation

1 day ago

MLB

Yankees Nation Turns On $70M Star Over Ice-Cold Start as Future Turns Uncertain Amid Amed Rosario Surge

1 day ago

NFL

$6.8B NFL Team Owners Buy Substantial Stake in MLB’s Colorado Rockies

18 hrs ago

MLB

Yankees Pitcher Deflects Blame in a Mixed Message to New York After Upsetting A’s Defeat

1 day ago

Measurements are mandated to occur between 10 a.m. and noon local time because research shows people “shrink” slightly throughout the day as their spines compress. Verification: At least two measurements are taken; if they differ by more than a few millimeters, a third is taken, and the results are averaged.

While this is all part of the standard protocol of ABS, per Rosenthal, umpires complain that MLB is employing hourly employees to measure the strike zones, and they question whether it’s safe enough to entrust such an important task to personnel not directly employed by MLB.

There are several areas where MLB employs hourly human resources, but in the case of matching strike zones, they are always verified by the officials. Rosenthal mentioned that the umpires would want to be involved in matching the strike zones.

“Umpires would want umpires to run those, so it’s more employment for more umpires,” Erik Kratz acknowledged the matter on Foul Territory’s April 11 episode.

That could be a valid point where umpires would take the roles of matching the strike zone. That could even help in their decision-making during the game. But overall, ABS proved to be a lot bigger challenge for the umpires.

“Some fans, including some of my children, think this is a great thing because it’s making the umpires look bad and it’s showing that they aren’t great at their jobs and it’s correcting mistakes and all of that,” Rosenthal reiterated.

With ABS increasingly overturning wrong calls, MLB umpires’ jobs are getting harder. They are no longer only focusing on the pitch but also trying to avoid embarrassment.

ABS is steadily becoming a favorite among the players

While fans rallied behind ABS even before its inception in MLB, a few players were skeptical about its effectiveness. For example, Paul Skenes initially preferred more of a human element in baseball. He shared how pitchers think every throw is a strike, only to be overturned by ABS.

“I really do like the human element of the game. I think this is one of those things that you kind of think umpires are great until they’re not. And so I could kind of care less, either way, to be honest,” he had noted last year.

But recently, his version has changed.

“So, now I’m all for it. I’ve totally flipped my stance on it. I’m all for it. It’s great.” Reason?

Skenes faced the impact of wrong calls back in 2024. In a game against the Cubs, Skenes had to throw a few extra pitches due to the missed calls. Even though he, himself, hasn’t had much of an advantage from the system, he’s open to it “even out over the course of the season.” Meanwhile, we will expect another update from him in June, mid-season!

We think the batters were more satisfied with how things are going.

In most cases, it is the pitchers whose strike calls were getting overturned. In spring, Skenes struck out four and walked four against the Atlanta Braves. But the Braves used the ABS to successfully challenge four of his called strikes, overturning all of them into balls.

In a recent Reds-Red Sox game, veteran umpire CB Bucknor’s consecutive strike calls got overturned by ABS and twice saved Eugenio Suarez from being called out.

While the players might be getting accustomed to ABS steadily and the fans are loving it, it is the umpires whose job just got harder. And Rosenthal just hinted at the concerns accumulating in the umpires’ camp.