Using Hawkeye technology and 5G, Major League Baseball will allow players to contest umpire calls, offering fans and players a new perspective on officiating after years of minor league testing.

Major League Baseball will implement its Automated Ball Strike challenge system next season, introducing AI-based pitch tracking to the majors following extensive testing in the minors. Initially tested in 2019, the system is considered a compromise between robotic umpires and conventional officiating, employing the pitch's Hawkeye tracking technology to provide players with an alternative reference in case of a challenge.

This week, MLB shared the update on X, stating that the system will operate on T-Mobile's 5G network and will be implemented during the entire 2026 season. New system rules state that every team will get two challenges per game, which they keep if successful. Additional challenges will be introduced during extra innings.

MLB stated that only a pitcher, catcher, or batter can initiate challenges, and the request must be made immediately after the pitch.

ABS testing has been in progress since 2019 in the Atlantic League and Triple-A, with responses indicating significant player and fan support for the challenge format. Among the fans polled by MLB during Spring Training, 72% reported that the Challenge System enhanced their experience, and 69% expressed a desire for the sport to implement ABS. This is in contrast to 31% who expressed a preference for retaining human umpires.

Commissioner Rob Manfred stated in a release that this fan approval was a significant reason for implementing the new system. He mentioned they began by listening to fans, performing thorough testing at the Minor League level, and striving at every stage to improve the game. Players’ strong preference for the Challenge format instead of relying on technology to call each pitch significantly influenced the system they revealed on September 25th.

With ABS set for 2026, MLB is joining an expanding array of sports that are incorporating AI and real-time tracking to enhance both fan and player experiences. Additional significant examples are Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Tour de France.