MLB News: Despite Its Popularity the League May Not Implement ABS In 2025 Due to One Technicality

MLB just can’t stop tweaking the rulebook. First, they banned the shift. Then they added pitch clocks. Now? The league wants to put the umpires on notice. They are testing Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS), hoping to make the game more efficient and error-free. Rule changes are quite common nowadays, but they also present many challenges, such as mound visit limits, shift bans, ghost runners, and more. And here’s the million-dollar question—Will baseball still feel like baseball without the human touch?

While we have relied on human efforts to call balls and strikes for more than 150 years, for the first time, players can challenge the calls using the automated replay review system. The system, which is fairly similar to the one used in football and tennis, will go into effect in 2026. However, one issue might prevent its use. What is that?

Well, the ABS system has a whole lot of benefits, allowing the players to challenge certain decisions, but only the catcher, batter, and pitcher can make the call for reviewing. This needs to be done immediately after the umpire’s call without any intervention from the dugout. So, what’s the deal with ABS actually making its way into MLB games? When asked on Foul Territory about whether the system would be used in spring training on February 22, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal had something to say- “The CBA states that there is a competition committee that has to vote, and if they approve, it has been a situation where 45 days’ notice is given; it used to be a year, and it has changed in recent times.” 

Ken Rosenthal believes that it is quite a reasonable amount of time to come up with a decision; however, one shouldn’t just rush into it. According to him, even if the ABS worked great, doing it right away doesn’t make much sense, as it would require some tweaks and improvements that would make it much better. While this system has garnered a lot of interest from the players and managers, the availability of only two challenges makes the teams decide on how to strategize. However, the technicality may often replace the “human element” that mainly comes due to the presence of a human behind the plate. Due to this, the chances of ABS implementation in 2025 seem doubtful. Isn’t it?

Dodgers and Cubs get their first look at the ABS

While the Automated Ball-Strike system is being tested during spring training, there have been two major challenges faced during the Cactus League opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. Both these teams have managed to experience this technology to track the pitch locations while allowing the batters, pitchers, and catchers to challenge the ball or strike in case the umpires make a wrong decision. But that’s not all!

The system is expected to be used in more than half of the spring training games, and every team has the right to use it. During the game between the Dodgers and Cubs, Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy was present at the plate for the first challenge. When Cubs’ starter Cody Poteet threw a fastball to Muncy, Poteet used the challenges, and the call got overturned with the use of ABS, leaving Muncy to go down on the fifth pitch of the at-bat.

So, what’s the verdict—should MLB hurry up and roll out ABS as soon as possible? Would a quicker implementation actually make the game better, or could it backfire?