Major League Baseball to introduce ball and strike review system in 2026

It's official: Rob Manfred has made another change to Major League Baseball.

Major League Baseball has just announced that, starting in 2026, the ABS system (the ball and strike review system) will be implemented throughout the season. A vote was held on the subject.

BREAKING: Major League Baseball will use the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) during the entire 2026 season

ABS CHALLENGE RULES:

– Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they're successful

– Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or… pic.twitter.com/xHkRIbHrRx

– MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2025

We remind you that this rule has existed in the minors for years. It was also tested at practice and at the most recent MLB All-Star Game.

For those unfamiliar with the system, we remind you that it's a way of keeping umpires accountable, but without simply going in with a robot behind the plate.

Basically, if a pitcher, catcher or batter believes the umpire has called a strike or ball incorrectly, they have the right to tap themselves on the head (without the help of the dugout to guide them) to request a review.

Within seconds, the scoreboard displays a replay indicating whether it was a catch or a ball. This is the only aspect that can be contested.

A team has two chances per game to contest a decision, for both forward and defensive players. Each successful recovery allows the club to keep its challenge. In other words, each team can make two mistakes before losing its right to challenge a referee's decision.

So the boys need to know when to use their restarts. After all, you can't go to the end of a match empty-handed…

Note that in a match that goes to extra ends, a club will be given the right to a restart at the start of each end, but only if it has none in its hands.

This will ensure that players have a safety net against horrible decisions. And since each replay only lasts a few seconds, it doesn't really lengthen matches.

This was last night. There are typically around 1,000 missed calls a week. The ABS challenge system is going to get plenty of use. https://t.co/NUeTDjgwoC

– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 23, 2025

In my eyes, it's a superb system. And I think that, like the dial, people who are more resistant to the ABS system will get used to it by seeing it in 2026.

I can't wait to see how it turns out.

This content was created with the help of AI.