Take us to your leader” the robot commanded in classic staccato tone. Turns out his leader is a rectangle in which circles either fall fully inside, partly inside, or not at all inside. Welcome to the “challenge system” version of ABS,

So, you wanted robot umpires? You've got them. Sort of.Major League Baseball will introduce the long-awaited and rigorously tested automated ball-strike challenge system beginning next year after an 11-person competition committee approved its implementation Tuesday.

Everything you need to know MLB’s upcoming Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, from rules to impact on the game

ABS, or MLB's automated balls and strikes system, has been a long time coming. Baseball players, managers and fans are tired of relying solely on the human elem

MLB’s Joint Competition Committee voted 9-2 to approve the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system on Tuesday, Sept. 23, two persons on the competition committee told USA TODAY Sports, after commissioner Rob Manfred passionately lobbied for the change.

Tuesday, MLB’s Competition Committee, which consists of six owners, four players and one umpire, approved the ABS system for use in major league games in 2026. Here’s how it will work, per the league.

The Seattle Mariners challenged the Kansas City Royals' defensive positioning, and it proved to be an important call in Thursday's game.

MLB experimented with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system in spring training this year and liked the results.