Phillies

MLB Says ABS System is Coming in 2026

By Luke Arcaini

Published: Sep 23rd, 2025 · 3:11 PM EDT

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Major League Baseball dropped a major update on robot umps, announcing that the ABS system will be in full effect starting at the beginning of the 2026 season.

If you don’t know what the ABS system is, it means players will now be able to challenge balls and strikes on a limited basis.

Here are the following rules released by MLB:

• 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

There’s been mixed reviews for robot umps and the ABS system. On one side, it’s nice that umpires can’t blow innings and games anymore. On the other hand, people were against the ABS system because they feel it takes the human aspect out of umpiring, which it does.

Walker Buehler spoke to the media two weeks ago at Citizens Bank Park and talked a lot about how he hates the idea.

Walker Buehler … not a fan of ABS.

(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/Z2qC55nY0V

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) September 11, 2025

The technology behind it is pretty nuts. Sponsored by T-Mobile, there will be 12 “Hawk-Eye” cameras planted all around the field. If a pitcher, batter, or catcher doesn’t like the call, they’ll be able to challenge it. Each team only gets two per game. If you win the challenge, you keep it. If a game goes into extra innings and you’re out of challenges, you will be granted one extra.

Each strike zone will be adjusted based on player height. The box will be 17 inches wide, the bottom of the box will be 27% of the player’s height, and the top of the box will be 53.5% of the player’s height.

As of now, I’m pro ABS. It’ll be interesting to see how everything shakes out once the procedure gets into a real, meaningful game, but eliminating missed calls across the league isn’t a bad thing.