“The Right First Step”: MLB’s Tech Revolution Introduces Automated Ball-Strike System
Jan 14, 2026, 6:16 PM
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 09: Manager Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs stands for the national anthem before game four of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on October 09, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – With pitchers and catchers set to report in less than a month—and the 2026 World Baseball Classic now under 50 days away—Major League Baseball enters the new year with renewed momentum.
While some purists still cling to remnants of a game far in the rearview, innovations such as the pitch clock and defensive positioning limitations have injected new life into America’s Pastime.
The league’s next game-changer, the ABS Challenge System, will continue the game’s modernization.
Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed the new challenge system, among other topics, with Craig Carton and Chris McGonigle on WFAN on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
RELATED: Manfred Says He Will Retire As MLB Commissioner In January 2029
“I think that the challenge system is the right first step, and I also think it’s consistent with our approach to replay,” Manfred said. “I think our game is such that you’re never going to get everything perfect on the field. That’s an unattainable goal. What you want to do is have a system in place that allows the players an opportunity to correct the high-leverage miss.”
The technology powering the system will be familiar to minor league fans, where various ABS systems have been in testing since 2019.
What is the MLB challenge system?
The ABS, or automated ball-strike challenge system, gives players the chance to challenge a pitch call they believe was missed.
Hawk-Eye technology, the same ball-tracking system already used in all MLB stadiums, will track every pitch. If a player challenges, a Hawk-Eye view is instantly shown over the in-stadium scoreboard, giving everybody a clear visual of where the pitch crossed the plate.
ABS says this missed by 4 nanometers.
How can you not be romantic about baseball? pic.twitter.com/URchDoypMH— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) February 26, 2025
- Teams begin each game with two challenges.
- Extra innings grant one additional challenge per inning.
- Only the batter, catcher, or pitcher may issue a challenge.
- A challenge is signaled by tapping the head or helmet.
- Teams retain their challenge if the call is overturned.
- Only unsuccessful challenges result in the loss of one of the allotted challenges.
“In the minor leagues, the players overwhelmingly preferred the challenge system,” Manfred stressed. “When you get that kind of overwhelming response from players, yeah, that you ought to give a little credence to.”
Is a work stoppage looming for professional baseball?
With the current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire after the 2026 season, commissioner Rob Manfred faces a critical point in his tenure leading the league.
Manfred has long held that avoiding disruptions to the 162-game schedule is his top priority.
“All I can tell you is that when I came, my goal was to make sure that every time we bargained, we played 162 (games), and that’s my goal,” Manfred stated.
But the path to labor peace appears murky.
Rob Manfred addresses the concern over a potential work stoppage in 2027:@craigcartonlive @CMacWFAN pic.twitter.com/JX4uf5mJ48
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) January 8, 2026
Led by Manfred, MLB’s 30 owners are again expected to push for a salary cap to limit the escalating spending of a handful of teams, while players remain staunchly opposed to any cap.
Executive Director of the MLB Players Association Tony Clark confirmed the stance in a 2023 interview with ESPN.
“We’re never going to agree to a cap,” Clark said. “Let me start there. We don’t have a cap. We’re not going to agree to a cap.”
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
