Over the past several seasons, MLB fans have been introduced to a number of rule changes, some hotly debated, others accepted in stride. The league has steadily implemented changes geared toward improving the pace of play, and adding excitement to the game with an eye toward boosting viewership and fan attendance throughout the league.
Before we take a look at this newest, and highly anticipated change for the 2026 season, let’s revisit a few of the changes that have already had a chance to settle in.
Possibly the most contentious rule change to date?—the pitch clock. Whereas there was previously no time constraint placed on pitchers, the pitch clock limits pitchers to 15 seconds to start their motion (windup) with the bases empty, upped to 18 seconds with runners on base. Failure to comply results in the pitcher being issued a ball. The rule also places a time constraint on batters, who must be in the batter’s box and make eye contact with the pitcher within 8 seconds, or be issued a strike.
This 2023 rule change was met with vocal criticism from pitchers, including big names like Max Scherzer, who argued it forced pitchers to rush, which could lead to injury. Phillies’ own Aaron Nola was also notably against the rule change and struggled with it early on, frustrated by the disruption to his established routine as a slower-paced pitcher. But as with any adapt or get left behind situation, the players eventually made adjustments, and no one can argue with the results—the substantially shorter games the league (and fans) were hoping for was achieved. Games were now clocking in on average at around 2 hours and 36-40 minutes, a decrease of roughly 24-28 minutes per game.
A less controversial change, the implementation of larger bases (from 15” square to 18” square), was designed to reduce player injuries resulting from base path collisions, with the added hope that it would increase the number of stolen bases. While there wasn’t a notable opposition to this change, there were snickers by fans who remarked on the comical size and joked that MLB was using pizza boxes on the diamond. Jokes aside, data has shown that the increased base size, in conjunction with the pitcher’s disengagement rule change that limits pitchers to two pick-off attempts or step-offs per batter, has made base stealing easier. A shorter distance from bag to bag (4 1/2 inches), plus a lower likelihood that the pitcher is coming for you, certainly equals a recipe for increased success.
With other notable changes like the shift rule and the “ghost runner” or “zombie runner” in extra innings, the MLB has not been shy about making adjustments to improve the game and overall fan experience, hoping of course, that increased fan excitement would translate to increased spending and viewership. If you improve the product, they will come.
The next logical step to improving the MLB product, is of course to improve the consistency. Accuracy and fairness in umpiring is an integral part of the game, with too many pivotal moments being incorrectly decided by human error over the years, leading to outcry from fans and teams that have been wronged by missed calls.
The issues were brought to the forefront in recent years as media and fans latched onto Angel Hernandez, a long tenured MLB umpire, as the villainous face of bad umpires, until his retirement in May 2024, which many have speculated was suggested by the league after a controversial career that spanned 33 years.
Phillies fans will remember a handful of memorable Angel Hernandez moments in recent years, including Kyle Schwarber’s ejection on April 24, 2022 after he animatedly unloaded on Hernandez after his ninth-inning strike out in what would end up being a 1-0 shutout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Schwarber’s third strike was called on a ball that was low and away, and he immediately erupted, slamming his bat and helmet before going on to wildly reenact nine innings worth of missed calls for both teams. As a fan, it was definitely one of the more entertaining ejections you’re likely to witness.
In September of the following year, fans were treated to another “get your money’s worth” ejection, this time a furious Bryce Harper, after confronting Hernandez over a checked swing disagreement, this time as Hernandez was serving as third base umpire. Harper, who was getting ready to take the walk he believed he earned when Angel issued the strike, headed right for Hernandez down the third base line, helmet in hand screaming his frustration at the call. Before Harper could make it halfway down the baseline, Hernandez tossed him, which only escalated tensions. Quickening his pace, gesturing wildly and screaming, Harper ended up nose to nose with Hernandez as Manager Rob Thomson hurried to step in the middle and usher Harper away. The dramatic altercation concluded with Harper launching his helmet underhanded over the protective netting and into the crowd before heading down the stairs and into the clubhouse.
And finally, the more recent source of human error induced pain for Philadelphia sports fans—the missed strike three call in the 7th inning of Game 4 of the 2025 NLDS that instead of ending the inning, lead to the Dodgers scoring the tying run. The Phillies would go on to lose the game in extra innings, ending their playoff hopes early for a second year in a row. Learning that home plate umpire Mark Wegner apologized to Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez afterwards did little to ease the pain of fans or the club, and it reinforced what was already clear to most organizations and fans—something had to change.
What is ABS and How Will It Work?
The Automated Balls and Strikes system or ABS, will use “Hawkeye” camera technology and a 5G network to track pitches. The Hawkeye system uses multiple cameras and player height data to create a precise personalized strike zone for each batter.
As usual, the umpire will make the initial ball or strike call, but under the new system, teams will have the ability to challenge that call. Challenges may only be initiated by the pitcher, catcher, or batter, and the challenge is signaled by tapping their cap or batting helmet. It must be done immediately following the call and without assistance from the dugout. The pitch will then be reviewed and the pitch will be shown to the viewers at home and fans in attendance in real time, with the call either being confirmed or overturned. The league expects this will all be accomplished in under 15 seconds.
Each team will begin the game with two challenges, and will only lose a challenge if the original call stands. If the call is overturned as a result of the challenge, the challenge is retained. There will certainly be some strategy involved, and the trifecta of players eligible to challenge will need to make sure they understand their role before each and every at bat. The last thing a team wants is a player risking a challenge in a situation that will likely have little to no impact on the outcome of the game.
The challenge system will be used in every game, including the postseason. If a game goes to extra innings, each team starting extra innings out of challenges, will receive one challenge to begin the 10th. For subsequent extra innings started out of challenges, teams will continue to receive one challenge to start each extra inning.
Avoiding the Robot Takeover
Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition and myth frame our response. – Arthur Schlesinger
As discussions about the ABS system initially took root, there was of much debate about replacing umpires completely with robot umpires. It became clear that neither fans nor players were on board with completely removing the human element from the game. While there may be frustrations with calls, there is something to be said for having the human interaction and drama continue to be part of baseball. We’d undoubtedly miss the heated player reactions and would surely lose out on the future Earl Weavers, Lou Pinellas, and Bobby Coxes of the world, managers famous for their fiery encounters with umpires usually leading to ejection (162 total for Bobby Cox to be exact). The human emotion is part of the fabric of the game, and without it, simply wouldn’t be the same. Much like hockey fights in the NHL, it may not be something the league necessarily loves, but the fans cannot get enough. A balance would need to be struck.
Enter the challenge system, which was developed through years of experimentation and testing in the minor leagues, and eventually MLB spring training and the All-Star game in 2025. Commissioner Rob Manfred noted that ABS started with “listening to the fans, conducting extensive testing at the Minor League level, and trying at every step to make the game better. Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players. The strong preference from players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system.”
Looking Ahead – Expectations and a Reality Check-in
So what are the expectations going forward and will the reality of ABS measure up? The hope is the system will provide more accurate and consistent calls, leading to more fairness and umpire accountability. There are also fears that it may slow the game down, devalue the art of framing pitches for catchers, along with concerns about the technology not being as accurate as anticipated. Some even argue that the virtual strike zone could end up being a hotly debated issue among players, as it may not always align with traditional strike zone interpretations.
As with previous rule changes, only time will tell if the new system meets the expectations of the league and fans alike, so join us back here around mid-season for a little “Reality Check-in”, where we’ll start breaking down how things are going in the inaugural season of ABS, all concluding with a final end of season analysis.
We’ll take a look at the impact on game length, how the role of catchers has been impacted, and dig into the numbers to see how statistically accurate the Hawkeye technology is throughout the course of the season. We’ll also try to get a finger on the pulse of players, managers and fans to determine the level of satisfaction with this latest of many MLB rule changes.
One thing is certain: the change has been a long time coming and the need has seemingly escalated over the last several years as bad calls and the ensuing player and manager confrontations have been rehashed to death across social media. As with the previously instituted rule changes, there will likely be an adaptation period, but it should ultimately lead to positive results and an improvement to the game, while still leaving us with some of the emotional drama we as fans have all come to know and love.
