MLB to Introduce Robot Umpires by 2026: The Future of Baseball officiating

Next season, Major League Baseball will be introducing robot umpires into the major leagues.On Tuesday, the 11-member Competition Committee sanctioned the Automated Ball/Strike System for implementation in 2026. While human umpires will maintain their roles in calling balls and strikes, teams will have the opportunity to challenge two such calls each game, with potential extras for overtime innings. Pitchers, catchers, or batters can request reviews by tapping their helmets, and successful challenges will keep the team's challenge intact. Digital graphics displaying the reviews will be featured on outfield videoboards.Austin Slater of the New York Yankees noted that while human umpires achieve roughly 94% accuracy, integrating technology still poses challenges. MLB statistics indicate that ball-strike disputes are a leading cause of ejections, and many hope robotic umpires will decrease these incidents. As MLB aims for a smoother game experience, players will need to adapt to the upcoming changes.