In an era where technology is revolutionizing every major sport, from VAR in soccer to Hawk-Eye in tennis, baseball has remained one of the last strongholds of human judgment. MLB, steeped in tradition and an enduring cultural aura, has long relied on the instincts and calls of its umpires. But tradition shouldn’t come at the cost of fairness or accuracy. And in this season, a string of controversial calls and high-profile ejections has amplified the demand for greater objectivity in officiating.

Enter the automated ball-strike system (ABS), commonly referred to as the “robot umpire.” While it’s still in the planning phase for full-scale implementation in MLB, the league has clearly heard the growing chorus of support. And what better way to introduce this technological leap than through a controlled and high-profile setting? That’s exactly what’s happening now. For the first time, ABS is being used in the ongoing All-Star Game. A fitting exhibition to not only test the system but also to let players, fans, and officials get a feel for what could be the future of baseball.

What is the ABS System?

ABS is a robotic strike zone technology developed to assist or replace human umpires in calling balls and strikes in baseball. It utilizes a combination of radar and camera systems, such as Hawk-Eye technology, to track the exact location of a pitch as it crosses the plate. Here, the main goal is to increase accuracy and consistency in the strike zone.

For the unversed, this technology has primarily been tested in Minor League Baseball over the past few seasons. At the Triple-A level, games have alternated between full ABS usage and the challenge system. This is to assess how each format affects gameplay. While the system has not yet been adopted in MLB regular-season games, it remains under serious consideration, especially as the league seeks to improve fairness and reduce errors in officiating. The last spring training season also saw the use of ABS in the field.

How does it work?

Well, ABS works by analyzing the pitch’s trajectory in real time. It defines a personalized strike zone for each batter based on their height and stance. So, when a pitch is thrown, the system instantly determines whether it falls within the strike zone. In one version of the system, this call is relayed to the home plate umpire, and the umpire announces the call.

The teams can also challenge the decision with ABS. For instance, if the umpire makes the initial call, each team can challenge a limited number of pitches. Those will then be reviewed by the ABS for accuracy. However, there’s a catch.

The challenges can’t come from the dugout. Only the hitter, pitcher, or catcher can make the call to challenge, and they have to do it right away, immediately after the pitch. So, there’s no waiting around or getting a signal from the bench, and it’s all on the players in the moment.

How accurate is the ABS?

Now, this is a debatable question. ABS is considered highly accurate, but accuracy doesn’t always mean perfection. While the system is extremely precise from a technical standpoint, there are still a few challenges. One of the main issues is how the strike zone is defined. It’s customized for each batter based on their height and stance, but it still follows a preset model. That means it might not always line up with how a human umpire would interpret certain borderline pitches.

Some players also feel that the ABS struggles a bit with tricky breaking balls or pitches that just clip the edge of the zone. Especially the low ones or those on the corners. The system reads them accurately in terms of location. But it doesn’t account for the movement or deception that might fool a batter or influence a human umpire’s call. Players like Max Scherzer also criticized the system for lacking a traditional human element.

In short, the ABS is very accurate in measuring pitch location. But it’s still being fine-tuned to match the real-world rhythm better. Moreover, as planned, ABS will not be used to make the calls on its own. Rather, it will be used to assist the human umpire. A perfect balance of human element and technological assistance is what can make the decisions far more accurate than they currently are.