Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is pushing for the implementation of an automated ball-strike (ABS) system, potentially as early as 2026.

They can’t get here soon enough, quite honestly.

Granted, Angel Hernandez isn’t around anymore, but anybody watching MLB baseball this season knows humans have strike zones that are all over the place, and they’re not always consistent.

The Athletic is reporting that Manfred is set to propose implementing the move as early as next season officially. It seems like a foregone conclusion.

“Barring a change of heart inside Manfred’s group, ABS appears likely to arrive in the big leagues next year,” the outlet writes. “The league office has enough votes on the 11-person committee — which is also made up of player representatives and one umpire — to push through what it wants.”

Bring on the Robo Umps

Rob Manfred’s proposal will stop short of letting the robo-umps take over the game. It will be very similar to systems that have already been tested in the minors and spring training.

Human umpires will make a vast majority of the calls, and teams will have two opportunities to challenge what they believe to be bad calls.

Which seems kind of ridiculous. If you believe the robo-umps to be more accurate in general, then why not have them make all of the calls?

What happens if the real-life umps are so bad earlier in the game that you run out of challenges, costing you a crucial at-bat late in the game?

“I do think that we’re going to pursue the possibility of changing that process, and we’ll see what comes out at the end of that,” Manfred said, according to The Athletic. “I think that teams are really positive about ABS.”

The Commissioner has previously indicated that umpires and players are generally more amenable to the challenge system as it constitutes only a minor change.

RELATED: MLB Reporter Wanted to Flee the Country After This Horrible First Pitch

Will The Fans Like It?

The automated system seeks to enhance the accuracy of pitch calling, potentially reducing disputes over balls and strikes. That is inarguably a good thing.

MLB umpires and their strike zones have always been a hot topic. Some establish certain zones according to their own judgment and preference. And, so long as they stick to them for both teams, most players don’t have an issue.

The problem with today’s game, however, is that the broadcast has an automated strike zone that fans can see. In real-time, they know whether an umpire’s call was right or not – by the definition of the strike zone rules.

If the fans can see what is a strike, the players should definitely be able to see it and have the right call made.

Robo-umps seem like a great idea. But not all of Rob Manfred’s ideas are golden, so to speak. Take, for example, the ‘Golden At-Bat’ rule he floated earlier this year. Remember that nuttiness?

The rule, which Manfred presented as having a lot of “buzz,” would allow each team to have whoever they want come to the plate once in the game. Take the Yankees, for example. Let’s say they have the bases loaded, two outs in the bottom of the ninth, down three runs, and Austin Wells is coming to the plate.

Bam – “golden at-bat” rule – they insert Aaron Judge, walk-off grand slam. It sounds cartoonish and something you’d see out of a video game because it is.

Pitch clocks and robo umps – good. Golden at-bat – bad.

Shaq is Worried ESPN Will Try to Rein In Charles Barkley, Won’t be Able to Talk About ‘Fat Women’
Also Read:
Shaq is Worried ESPN Will Try to Rein In Charles Barkley, Won’t be Able to Talk About ‘Fat Women’
By Rusty Weiss
Rusty Weiss is a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys, and Xavier Musketeers fan. He has been writing professionally ... More about Rusty Weiss
Mentioned in this article:

More About:
0What do you think?Post a comment.