{"id":107638,"date":"2025-09-23T18:08:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T22:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=107638"},"modified":"2025-09-23T18:08:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T22:08:44","slug":"mlbs-abs-challenge-system-approved-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/09\/23\/mlbs-abs-challenge-system-approved-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: MLB Approves ABS System For 2026 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Major League Baseball dropped a long-awaited bombshell on September 23, as the Joint Competition Committee unanimously approved the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/10\/28\/spring-training-strike-zone-challenge\/\" target=\"_self\">Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System.<\/a> Starting in 2026, this electrifying upgrade hits every corner: spring training, regular season, and playoff games across all ballparks. Commissioner Rob Manfred radiated optimism, stating, \u201cWe used the same process with ABS that started with listening to 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\u2019s acceptable to players.\u201d Yet, this isn\u2019t a robotic coup. Umpires continue to call pitches, but teams can call out errors. This hybrid keeps the organic feel of baseball while implementing modern technology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Report: MLB Approves ABS System For 2026 Season<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BREAKING: Major League Baseball will use the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) during the entire 2026 season<\/p>\n<p>ABS CHALLENGE RULES:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they&#8217;re successful<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or\u2026 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xHkRIbHrRx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/xHkRIbHrRx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 MLB (@MLB) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLB\/status\/1970546182893248800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><b>Minors Pave the Way<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ABS kicked off in 2019 with the Atlantic League using full automation. In 2022, the Florida State League introduced the Challenge System, a hybrid approach. By 2023, Triple-A tested both full ABS and challenges, and in 2024, challenges took over. In 2025, minor league trials refined the system, averaging 5.8 challenges per game, with three per game, and 3.9 with two. Triple-A\u2019s 51% challenge overturn rate impressed. Players liked the challenge system\u2019s excitement over full automation, paving the way for MLB to introduce it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>ABS Challenge System Operation and Rules<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12 Hawk-Eye cameras, sharp to a fifth of an inch, run on 5G private network from T-Mobile for Business\u2019 Advanced Network Solutions. Teams get two challenges, plus one in extra innings. Only batters, pitchers, or catchers can signal via a hat or helmet tap after the pitch. No dugout scheming allowed. Reviews take about 14 seconds, with umpires announcing as the scoreboard displays the strike zone\u201417 inches wide, 27% to 53.5% of the batter&#8217;s height\u2014judging pitches at the plate\u2019s midpoint.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Players Clash Over Change<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2024 Athletic poll showed 63.4% of players against ABS, 19.5% in the middle ground, and 17.1% approve. Yankees\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/05\/19\/yankees-bullpen-dominant-devin-williams-rebounding\/\" target=\"_self\">Devin Williams<\/a> grumbled, \u201cThey\u2019ll do what they want.\u201d Giants\u2019 Justin Verlander mourned, \u201cI hate losing that art,\u201d he told Sportico. Conversely, Diamondbacks\u2019 Alek Thomas grinned. \u201cIt\u2019s cool for fans and players,\u201d he said. Tigers\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/06\/07\/tarik-skubal-records-100-strikeout\/\" target=\"_self\">Tarik Skubal<\/a> shrugged. \u201cIf it\u2019s coming, my opinion\u2019s irrelevant.\u201d Reds\u2019 manager Terry Francona banned his team from using the challenges this past spring training, where the system was being tested. Despite the players&#8217; vote, 61% of insiders backed its approval.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Media Ignites the Debate<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pundits buzz with takes regarding ABS. ESPN\u2019s Jeff Passan called it a \u201cgame-changer.\u201d He posted on X, \u201cThere are typically around 1,000 missed calls a week. The ABS challenge system is going to get plenty of use.\u201d The Athletic\u2019s Ken Rosenthal, with Jayson Stark, flagged flaws. \u201cA half-inch error stirs debate,\u201d Rosenthal wrote. USA Today\u2019s Bob Nightengale raved. \u201cQuick fixes make it a hit.\u201d Opinions swirl across the internet for now, and there won\u2019t be a finite answer to whether the ABS Challenge System works or not until this time next year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Spring and All-Star Showcase ABS Potential<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2025 Spring Training, teams used ABS in 60% of games. Teams challenged 2.6% of pitches, averaging 4.1 challenges per game, with 52.2% of those challenges overturning umpire calls. Pitchers and catchers edged out batters, succeeding in 54.4% of challenges compared to hitters\u2019 50%. Fans embraced the trials. A survey conducted by MLB shows 72% of fans approve and 69% favor ABS over human-only calls. The 2025 All-Star game stole the spotlight when Colorado&#8217;s Hunter Goodman challenged a call, nullifying Randy Arozeronas&#8217; at-bat in the ninth inning. This clutch moment highlighted the player\u2019s savvy, saving challenges for high-stakes moments. This success cemented ABS\u2019s appeal, blending tech-driven precision with baseball\u2019s old-fashioned core.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Coming soon to MLB in 2026 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IFoOt83z7F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/IFoOt83z7F<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBONFOX\/status\/1970551778090635333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><b>Stakes Soar, Strategy Shifts<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the ABS Challenge System gears up for 2026, baseball braces for a seismic shift. Minor League tests showed tighter zones, fewer walks, and more strikes, tilting the game toward pitchers while diminishing catchers\u2019 framing wizardry. Yet, the challenge system\u2019s high-stakes drama\u2014where teams must pick pivotal moments to contest calls\u2014adds a thrilling layer of strategy. Manfred countered skeptics, stating, \u201cNo system\u2019s perfect, but it beats today\u2019s.\u201d With live graphics set to captivate fans and ABS poised to correct an estimated 10.9% of missed calls, the game\u2019s heart merges with tech\u2019s precision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credits: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Major League Baseball dropped a long-awaited bombshell on September 23, as the Joint Competition Committee unanimously approved the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System. Starting in 2026, this electrifying upgrade hits every corner: spring training, regular season, and playoff games across all ballparks. Commissioner Rob Manfred radiated optimism, stating, \u201cWe used the same process with ABS [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5310,"featured_media":107641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1071,35],"tags":[1008],"class_list":["post-107638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","category-news","tag-rob-manfred"],"modified_by":"Evan Mazza, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107638"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107638\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107644,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107638\/revisions\/107644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}