MLB Spring Training and Automated Ball-Strike System
On the opening day of spring training games this Friday, Major League Baseball (MLB) reported a notable performance of its automated ball-strike system, often referred to as ‘robot umpires.’ Out of a total of 23 ball/strike challenges across five games, 13 calls were successfully overturned, resulting in a success rate of 56.5%. This translates to an average of 4.6 challenges per game, with 2.6 of those resulting in overturned calls.
Game Highlights
In the matchup between Arizona and Colorado, the Diamondbacks edged out the Rockies 3-2, during which a significant number of challenges were issued. Home plate umpire Alex MacKay faced seven challenges, of which six were successful, leading to four of five disputed decisions being reversed in favor of Arizona, while Colorado successfully challenged both of their calls.
Previous Performance of the ABS System
MLB had previously piloted the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system last spring, during which teams managed to reverse 52.2% of their challenges, totaling 617 successful overturns out of 1,182 attempts. Each team is entitled to two challenges per game. If a challenge is unsuccessful, teams receive an additional opportunity for each extra inning played. Moreover, successful challenges allow teams to keep their total, echoing a similar structure currently in place for video reviews that were first implemented for home run calls in August 2008, with broader applications initiated during the 2014 season.
