During Spring training, MLB plans to implement the challenge system, which could potentially extend game times if teams are successful in their challenges.

Major League Baseball (MLB) is set to test a robot umpire system through an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system during Spring training in 2025, with plans for implementation in the 2026 regular season.

The ABS currently defines strikes based on the ball's crossing point, with the top of the strike zone adjusted to 53.5% of a batter's height, up from 51% in 2023.

In Triple-A, each team was allowed a specified number of challenges per game, with successful challenges enabling teams to retain their attempts, similar to the rules in Major League video reviews.

The ABS technology employs Hawk-Eye cameras to monitor pitch locations relative to the strike zone, enhancing decision-making accuracy and has been in use in Triple-A since 2022.

Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized that player experience will play a crucial role in determining the timeline for the system's rollout, highlighting the importance of feedback from both clubs and players.

The ABS test will provide a significant opportunity for all Major League players to experience the challenge system, although it will not be available in every ballpark.

Under the ABS system, human umpires will continue to call balls and strikes, but teams will have a limited number of challenges to contest specific calls, retaining their challenges if successful.

This challenge system represents a potential compromise between traditional human judgment and full automation, possibly paving the way for future advancements in umpiring.

In the 2024 Triple-A season, MLB experimented with a challenge system that transitioned from initial robot-only games to a format where human umpires made most calls, allowing teams to challenge decisions.

The integration of technology in umpiring reflects MLB's ongoing efforts to enhance the game while balancing the traditional aspects of baseball.