The 2025 MLB All-Star Game will mark another big step toward the “robo-umps.”
For the first time in the game’s history, the league will implement the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system during Tuesday night’s exhibition at Truist Park in Atlanta. The decision could signal a major shift for Major League Baseball, as league officials continue evaluating whether to [broadly adopt](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45701011/mlb-use-abs-challenge-system-all-star-game-atlanta) the system.
The technology could be a “permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year,” as Jesse Rogers of ESPN writes.
ABS was used during spring training earlier this year and will operate under the same guidelines in the Midsummer Classic.
Each team will be granted two challenges with the option to retain them if successful. Only the pitcher, catcher or batter may issue a challenge, which must be signaled immediately after the pitch with a tap on the cap or helmet. No help from the dugout or teammates is permitted when a challenge is issued.
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After a player signals for a review, the Hawk-Eye system immediately generates a visual display of the pitch’s trajectory and placement relative to the strike zone. Using that data, the plate umpire will uphold or reverse the call.
The technology is designed to improve accuracy while maintaining the human element of the game, something both players and officials have openly favored.
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The “robo-umps” have already drawn positive feedback from fans and players alike. During spring training, over half of all challenged calls were successfully overturned and less than 3% of all pitches were contested. According to an MLB report, 72% of polled fans considered ABS as an improvement to their ballpark experience.
With support trending upward and a growing body of data from the minors and spring exhibitions, the challenge-based ABS model has emerged as MLB’s preferred compromise between human umpires and fully automated umpires — blending precision technology with the traditions of the sport.
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The American League and National League will square off at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.
Featured image via Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch via USA TODAY Sports Images