Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike System: Bring it On!

Introduction

First impression of baseball’s flirtation with an automated strike zone?

Bring it on! Technically, it’s still in the experimentation stage this spring and won’t reach Major League ballparks before 2026 at the earliest, but this innovation should be getting close to no-brainer status. It’s quick. It’s not overly intrusive. It involves strategy, teamwork, and risk-taking. And, surprisingly, it’s kind of fun.

The Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS)

If you haven’t been following along, baseball has been toying with ABS for years in the minor leagues. They tried using it full time (Not so good.) and they tried a challenge system where each team can dispute two or three balls/strikes calls per game (Perfect).

How Challenges Work

Get the challenge right, and you retain it. Get it wrong, and you lose it. Unlike instant replay challenges, it doesn’t require a minute or two of dead time while faceless arbiters in New York pore through video feeds to find conclusive evidence. The average challenge lasted 17 seconds in Triple A last year.

Players Involvement

The system requires pitchers, catchers, and hitters to make a challenge immediately by tapping their heads. Managers cannot make a challenge, and players on the field cannot wait a few extra seconds to hear from somebody in the dugout with a video replay. Challenges were successful just about half the time in Triple A last year.

Improved Accuracy

There has been talk that the ABS is helping hitters and umpires better define the strike zone. Unlike MLB where some umpires are known to have slightly smaller or larger strike zones, the automated system provides a truer version of balls and strikes. Players’ bodies are measured in the spring so each hitter has a personalized strike zone depending on his height.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ABS system in baseball is a step towards improving the accuracy and fairness of calls, while also adding an element of excitement and strategy to the game. Players and fans alike are showing positive reactions to this innovative technology.

FAQs

1. When will the ABS be implemented in Major League ballparks?

The ABS is expected to reach Major League ballparks no earlier than 2026.

2. Can managers make challenges under the ABS system?

No, only pitchers, catchers, and hitters can make challenges by tapping their heads.

3. How successful were challenges in Triple A last year?

Challenges were successful just about half the time in Triple A last year.