As spring training begins and the excitement for MLB fans grows, a new element has arrived to the game of baseball beginning this upcoming season.

The Automatic Ball and Strike (ABS) challenge system, which has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022, will allow players to have the power to contest strike-zone judgements made by umpires.

Last year, during the experimental use of the ABS system in spring training, 72% of fans in the MLB showed support for the challenge system, as well as majority of players in AAA during its use in Minor League Baseball.

This change is seen as a great middle ground for the sport where important calls in games are made correctly while not removing the human aspect of officiating through “robo-umps”.

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Teams will start every game with two challenges apiece that can only be used by pitchers, catchers, and batters. To signal a challenge, the player will tap the top of his head directly after the umpire makes his call. A player can be denied a challenge if an umpire determines that he was aided in his decision to challenge by another player or manager.

A successful appeal by a player retains the challenge, while an unsuccessful challenge results in the team losing that challenge. Teams receive one challenge per extra inning if the game exceeds nine innings, but challenges carry over. For example, if a team has one or two challenges remaining at the end of the ninth inning, they do not receive an extra challenge until they are at zero remaining.

Challenge success rates as well as other related statistics will be recorded for each individual player.

For viewers in the ball park or watching at home on TV, an animated ABS system displaying the result for the challenge will be shown so that fans are not in the dark.

The ABS system will be in use at every MLB ballpark, with only the Mexico City Series, the Field of Dreams Game, and the Little League Classic not having the infrastructure to support the system.

The challenge system will make its formal debut on Opening Night when the Giants clash with the Yankees on March 25.