The ABS is not new for the players getting the most time on the field for spring training, but it is for everyone else. First, what is the ABS? Automated Ball-Strike is a technology driven system for calling pitches, but not a replacement for umpires. It follows similarly with the challenge system that has been in place for some time now, giving an opportunity to potentially overturn calls made by the umpires. ABS challenges can only be made by the pitcher, hitter, or catcher, and must be used immediately following the call. This gives the opportunity to have a questionable call rapidly looked at and overturned if need be. Umpires are humans, and mistakes can and will be made throughout the course of a season or game. Typically, there is no recourse for a pitcher or hitter who got a call they disagreed with in a critical portion of the game. This system provides that opportunity, without diminishing the importance of the umpires, or the rich tradition of holding your breath waiting for the call from behind the plate. They aren’t unlimited, and they don’t burn much time while under review. Typically, just a few seconds, and the review is shown on the screen in the park for the fans. This type of review has been a dream of some fans for quite some time, but for others it goes against the fabric of the game. It’s important to note that the earliest this system could be implemented would be regular season 2026.
So, is it a good thing or is it a detriment to the game? It doesn’t take much searching to find high profile calls that changed the trajectory of games, as well as team’s postseason success. Many of those could have been overturned had there been some form of challenge system in place to review them. Even still, there really is no way of knowing if it would have mattered at that time. Each team would get two challenges, losing them if they get it wrong, but keeping them for calls that get overturned. Who’s to say that they would even have had one left at the bottom of the ninth with two outs? The best approach is to not look at what could have been but look at how it could change the game now.
The current setup has multiple goals in mind when it comes to implementation in games. At the forefront are two key focus points: maintaining the authority of the umpires, while simultaneously holding them accountable for their calls. A system that challenges the umpires is an easy enough concept, but when implementing, it becomes tricky. Umpires are one of the many things that make baseball what it is, and not some emotionless program that removes the excitement from the game. Disagreeing with a call is sometimes the most adrenaline inducing portion of a game for fans, especially watching from the recliner at home. Removing that human aspect, the traditional aspect, removes a portion of the game that can’t be replaced. Baseball without umpires wouldn’t be baseball anymore.
So how do we keep the tradition of the game, while also ensuring that the umpires don’t get sloppy or make careless calls? Take the concept of the “robo-ump” and implement it on an extremely limited basis for both teams. Keeping the number of challenges as low as two per game ensures that teams use them wisely, not challenging every pitch that doesn’t go their way. It also means the umpires never know when it’s coming, ensuring they call the game as best they can every time. It doesn’t mean they suddenly become perfect, but it does mean you will get less bad calls due to lack of attention, fatigue etc. Watching a baseball at 90 miles per hour, over the head of another person, and through the swing of the hitter is no easy task. There isn’t a person in the stands who could put on the gear and call a perfect game, so we shouldn’t expect them too either.
Ultimately there will be varying opinions on the system, now and when/if it does get implemented in the regular season. Both sides make good points, and it will come down to finding the medium that achieves both goals. I’m looking forward to the implementation, to see where players use them and how careful they are. As time goes on it will become just another aspect to the game, like the current challenge system is now. The game has to evolve to keep up with the current needs and technology, as long as we don’t lose what makes the game of baseball great. What do you think about the system? Good or bad share your thoughts and why down below.
