MLB Futures Game had challenged balls, strikes with ABS; Fans loved it
Actual robot umps? That’s probably a thing of the way future.
But there’s something that Major League Baseball tested out during the 2023 Futures Game that could be coming down the road sometime sooner: Using robot strike calls for challenges.
It’s known as ABS: Automatic ball-strike system, and when a player wanted to challenge a ball or strike call on Saturday night, there was a replay at T-Mobile Park, much like we see in tennis on a challenged in or out call.
It showed a virtual strike zone, and if the ball touched it, that would be a strike.
