The New ABS Challenge System Is Dope
Today MLB officially announced the Automated Ball Strike (ABS) Challenge system is coming to the majors in 2026.
This is dope.
I think it'll be another great on-field rule tweak for the game.
For those who don't know, the ABS system uses the HawkEye technology that teams have in all of their ballparks to track specific pitch locations (among all sorts of other things) and determine balls and strikes.
The league has experimented with ABS in the minors for years. Both the full ABS system and the ABS challenge systemâwhich is the variant that will be introduced. And, in my opinion, the best way to implement this technology.
Here are the details:
- How It Works: The ABS Challenge System runs on a 5G private network from T-Mobile for Businessâ Advanced Network Solutions. Twelve (12) Hawk-Eye cameras set up around the perimeter of the field track the location of each pitch. If a pitcher, catcher, or batter disagrees with the umpireâs initial call of ball or strike, he can request a challenge by immediately tapping on his hat or helmet and vocalizing a challenge. The pitch location is compared to the batterâs strike zone, and if any part of the ball touches any part of the strike zone, the pitch will be considered a strike. The home plate umpire will announce the challenge to the fans in the ballpark and a graphic showing the outcome of the challenge will be displayed on the scoreboard and broadcast. The entire process takes approximately 15 seconds.
- ABS Challenge System Rules: Each club will start the game with two challenges, and all successful challenges are retained. Only the pitcher, catcher or batter may challenge an umpireâs call of ball or strike. Challenges must be requested immediately after the call, and players may not receive help from the coaching staff, other players, or anyone else. In each extra inning, a team will be awarded a challenge if it has none remaining entering the inning.
- ABS Challenge System Strike Zone: The strike zone will be a two-dimensional rectangle that is set in the middle of home plate with the edges of the zone set to the width of home plate (17 inches) and the top and bottom adjusted based on each individual playerâs height (53.5% of the batterâs height at the top and 27% at the bottom). As was the process ahead of 2025 Spring Training, independent testers will measure players in Major League Spring Training using a standardized process. MLB will certify each playerâs official height before that player may appear in any Major League game.
Like the pitch clock, I think this rule will be almost entirely positive. The human element remains important. Both umpire skill and catcher framing will continue to have great value since this isn't a full ABS system.
The replay process itself is rapidâtaking place in about 15 seconds or soâand the immediate visual on the scoreboard means everyone in the park can see exactly what the call is right away. It adds some drama, adds some fan interaction and generally doesn't hurt the flow of the game at all.
The only quibble I have with how MLB is implementing this (and really it is a very minor quibble) is this line:
"In each extra inning, a team will be awarded a challenge if it has none remaining entering the inning."
It's entirely personal preference, but I would be more interested in a system that either didn't give extra challenges at all in extra innings, or a system that simply gave both teams an additional challengeâregardless of how many they have when extra innings start.
The way MLB is implementing this feels a bit like you're penalizing teams who are efficient in their challenges throughout the game. Challenging balls and strikes effectively is going to be a real skill. I would prefer to reward the teams who do it well. Smart with your challenges and get them right? If extras come you might have that as an advantage over your opponent.
Again, it's a small critique from me. I'm a big fan of this rule change, and can't wait to see it in action next year.
It'll be fun to see which players are the best (and worst) at challenging pitches. The change should help hitters more than pitchers, which I believe is a good thing for the balance of the game. Seeing how teams strategically use their challenges will be fun to follow. Who will be conservative and save theirs for late-game situations or key moments? Who will be aggressive? Will teams opt to have pitchers or catchers make the decisions? Will some players be barred from challenging at all because their zone awareness is just too bad?
All of this is going to be a blast.
And if you're at all concerned about ABS coming to the majors, I would encourage you to check out this piece from JJ Cooper at Baseball America.