Baseball’s purists and modernists are once again at odds – this time over MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS). As the league experiments with the challenge-based system in Spring Training, some veteran players are raising concerns about its impact on the game and its very ethos. While the technology aims to ensure consistency in strike calls, not everyone is convinced it’s an upgrade.

Take Max Scherzer, for example. The three-time Cy Young winner is no stranger to voicing his opinions, and he’s not thrilled about losing the “human element” of umpiring. His frustration echoes a common sentiment among older players—baseball is a game of adjustments, but some changes are harder to embrace. Corbin Burnes, another elite pitcher, highlighted that umpires develop a strike zone over the years, and pitchers study those tendencies to gain an edge. ABS eliminates that nuance, making every zone identical—at least in theory.

The pitching perspective: A lost art?

According to MLB Network’s sports analyst Xavier Scruggs, “Max Scherzer is not wrong about we will miss a lot of the human element but also we want to get it right.” He said, “We want to make sure that there is a consistent strike zone on both sides of the ball. That’s gonna benefit everybody and change is always tough.” He further adds Scherzer, like others will have to adapt since he hasn’t experienced the system firsthand. However, it won’t impact him this season, so hopefully, as time goes on, the game will improve for everyone – and that’s the flip side here.

Plenty of players see ABS as a long-overdue fix. Landon Knack, a Dodgers pitcher who faced the system in Triple-A, admitted it still has kinks but ultimately believes it’s “close” to working as intended. He pointed out inconsistencies from park to park, with strike zones shifting slightly depending on the calibration. That’s obviously an issue, but players agree on one thing—they just want a fair and predictable zone.

The challenge system itself is straightforward. Each team gets two challenges per game, losing one only if incorrect. Only the pitcher, catcher, or batter can call for a challenge, and they must do so immediately by tapping their head. Within seconds, Hawk-Eye tracking displays whether the pitch was a strike. So far, challenges have taken an average of 17 seconds, making them far less disruptive than replay reviews. But the bigger question that still looms is: will this actually improve the game?

Well, hitters do want consistency. But they might not love a zone that perfectly follows the rulebook. Pitchers who rely on framing and stealing strikes on the edges could also struggle. And let’s be honest—there’s something about a dramatic argument with an umpire that fans secretly enjoy. But as the ABS begins to look inevitable with every passing day, take a look at what the tech is.

Tech to boost a new era of umpiring as MLB expands ABS testing

In the spring season of Grapefruit and Cactus League games, in MLB there will be an expansion of the Automated Ball Strike System. This development comes after testing in the leagues and its implementation in Triple-A since 2022. Although MLB has not confirmed an implementation yet the increasing adoption of this system suggests a change in how umpires make calls, for balls and strikes. The aim is to reduce mistakes made by humans and ensure a strike zone that follows the rulebook, in every game played on the field of baseball games worldwide. However, this decision has caused quite a debate among pitchers who are concerned about its impact on game tactics and the skill of pitching itself.

Major League Baseball is experimenting with a version of Instant Replay technology called the challenge-based ABS system. It enables pitchers catchers or batters to question a call and have it quickly reviewed using Hawk-Eye tracking technology instead of relying solely on automatic decisions. This hybrid approach retains human umpires while providing a backup system for incorrect calls. Supporters of ABS believe it eliminates bias and promotes fairness while critics fear it may interfere with the intricate dynamics, among pitchers hitters, and umpires. Concerns have been raised about the readiness of the ABS calibration system, in ballparks due to inconsistencies casting doubt on its suitability, for league application.

While the league continues refining the technology, one thing is clear—MLB is serious about bringing automation to the strike zone, and it may only be a matter of time before it becomes permanent. How do you think it will change the game? For better? Or will baseball lose its charm?