Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 6
MLB umpires receive real-time ABS feedback on strike zone calls
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 6

MLB umpires receive real-time ABS feedback on strike zone calls

6 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 6
  • ESPN's Jeff Passan said umpires can use a two-way microphone to ask ABS operators during games if they are missing off-plate strikes.
  • The system, added before the 2026 season alongside two team challenges and a redefined height-based strike zone, has helped improve accuracy and overturn some game-changing calls.
  • It has also coincided with fewer called strikes, more patient hitters and a record walk pace, while reducing arguments over balls and strikes; MLB has not said how widely feedback is used.
With real-time AI feedback, are umpires being trained for consistency or simply being phased out for full automation?
Has MLB's automated system made the game more accurate but less exciting to watch due to record-high walks?
As technology redefines the strike zone, which player skills will become most valuable in baseball's new era?