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Major League Baseball will implement a challenge system for balls and strikes in the 2026 season after the league’s competition committee voted Tuesday to usher in the era of robot umpiring.
Following years of testing in the minor leagues, as well as during spring training and at this year’s All-Star Game, MLB forged ahead with a system that will give teams two challenges per game.
Hitters, pitchers and catchers will be the only ones allowed to trigger the system by tapping their head, and if a challenge is successful — the pitch will be shown on in-stadium videoboards — teams will retain it.
While the vote in favor of the automated ball-strike challenge system was not unanimous — some of the four players on the 11-man committee voted no, according to sources — the vote was a fait accompli, with MLB owners all in favor and in possession of a six-seat majority on the committee.
“I commend the Joint Competition Committee for striking the right balance of preserving the integral role of the umpire in the game with the ability to correct a missed call in a high-leverage situation, all while preserving the pace and rhythm of the game,” commissioner Rob Manfred