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By Julio Cesar Valdera Morales
Contributing Sports Writer
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MLB announced Tuesday that the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System will be fully implemented in both leagues throughout the upcoming season. The general procedure for challenging balls and strikes called by the umpires was also announced.
According to a report by MLB.com, its implementation was approved by the Joint Competition Committee, which met on Tuesday to decide on the matter.
"The previous rule changes that have been adopted by the Joint Competition Committee have had staying power and created momentum for the game,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on the matter, according to MLB.com. "We used the same process with ABS that started with listening to fans, conducting extensive testing at the minor league level, and trying at every step to make the game better.
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"Throughout this process, we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players. The strong preference from players for the challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing (Tuesday)."
The ABS challenge system has been tested in independent and minor leagues since 2019. During the preseason of the current MLB campaign, it was tested in some spring training ballparks and even made it to the All-Star Game, held at Truist Park.
How Will the ABS Challenge System Work?
The official MLB account on X posted a summary of the general rules governing how the ABS challenge system will operate during the upcoming season:
- Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they're successful
- Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or batter, and the request must come right after the pitch
- To signal a challenge, the pitcher, catcher, or batter will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know
- No help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed
- In each extra inning, a team will be awarded a challenge if it has none remaining entering the inning
The ABS system works with Hawk-Eye technology, which has been so successful in other sports such as tennis. It is a measure that follows others implemented by MLB, including expanded video replay, PitchCom, and the pitch clock, among others.
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