By Gavin Guffey, Staff Writer 

The MLB will allow players to challenge calls using an automated system beginning in the 2026-27 season. 

When players feel that the umpire makes an incorrect call, they will now be able to challenge said call, using the recently developed Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) calling system. 

If an unsatisfactory call is made by the umpire, the batter, pitcher or catcher may tap his cap or helmet, signifying that he wants to challenge the call. These three are the only people allowed to challenge calls. According to the new rules, they must do so immediately without any other influences. 

The stadium will then display a virtual representation of the pitch on the video board for all in attendance to see, along with fans at home being shown in the broadcast. 

If it is determined that the pitch was called incorrectly, then the call will be reversed, and play will resume according to the new call. If the player who challenged the call is incorrect, then his team will lose one of its challenges and the call will stay the same. 

To prevent abuse of the new rules, each team will receive only two challenges per game. 

The ABS system may be new to the Majors, but it is no stranger to baseball. The league has been testing ABS at multiple different levels in recent years, along with trying out a fully automated system – requiring no human umpires calling the plate. 

In the 2023 and 2024 Triple-A seasons, the fully automatic ABS system was tested and in 2025 it turned to strictly just the challenge system. Other lower-level leagues have also tried out different versions of automatic calls. 

After careful review of the results, the MLB has elected to move forward with just the challenge system aspect of the ABS, keeping a human aspect of the game. 

Some fans hold the idea of a human behind the plate close to their hearts, and do not want to see it go. Others do not mind the progression to more automatic calls, advocating for increased technological innovations in sports. 

“As a younger fan, I’m excited to see the technology get implemented. I think it’ll help games run more efficiently,” first-year economics and sport management double major Jacob Halbesma said. 

The new system could help mitigate umpires being able to single-handedly taking over entire games – something that the MLB has been criticized for in the past. 

“It’ll give the players a chance to actually see the correct call, and it’ll strip a little bit of power away from the umpires, who, some have been notoriously bad at calling games,” Halbsema said. 

“I’m a big fan of the automated balls and strikes calling. I think that’s a good thing for the game to have,” Head of Opposition Hitter Analysis for the Xavier baseball team and junior business analytics and information systems and finance double major Sean Kirchner said. 

Other professional sports have begun to implement automatic referees and officials into their sports. 

“As we’ve seen in soccer and tennis, they’re already moving towards virtual referees,” Halbsema said.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) first introduced its version of automatic line-calling, Hawk-Eye, in 2005. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more prevalent, with entire tournaments turning to automatic calling. 

Similarly, professional soccer fully implemented the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in 2018. The VAR reviews important line calls using video footage to help referees confirm in-game decisions, like penalties or red cards. 

Kirchner praised the use of technology in all sports to ensure correct calls, saying it is “the most equitable way to play the game.” 

“I think that’s how a game should be. A game should be officiated correctly. You know, try and remove the human element to a degree and make sure the calls are correct, even if they take a minute,” Kirchner said. 

Because some aspects of the game are being lost by turning to automatic referees, fans will continue to debate whether or not they should be implemented.

“I think that would be a little bit harmful for the game, but I think you’ll give some peace of mind to the players and fans, knowing that the calls are being made according to the rule book,” Halbsema said.