MLB moves toward robot umpires as ABS set for 2026

MLB is poised to officially launch the robot umpire era, with the Automated Ball-Strike system, or ABS, expected to be approved for the 2026 season. The league's Joint Competition Committee, a panel made up of six team owners, four players and an umpire, is scheduled to meet Tuesday with broad expectations that ABS will be approved. Commissioner Rob Manfred has been a strong proponent of ABS, and the committee's ownership balance is cited as a factor in the expected outcome.

If approved, ABS would determine balls and strikes in games that count, replacing calls from home plate umpires on every pitch. It would mark the first time in regular season MLB play that umpires do not have final say on every pitch. For 2026, the system will feature a height-based zone for individual hitters, a design that was tested this spring and again at the July All-Star Game.

ABS has already seen real-world use in the sport's minor-league ladder for several years. It has been used at various levels since 2021 and in all Triple-A games since 2022, providing MLB with a data-driven path to major league implementation. The 2026 regime would represent the next step in that evolution, expanding automated calls to the league's highest level.

Support within the Joint Competition Committee stems from its composition. With six owners among its eleven members, the panel holds a built-in majority that has fueled expectations that ABS will be approved as MLB formalizes a robot umpire workflow.

MLB officials describe the move as a step toward greater consistency in ball and strike calls, with testing in spring training and the All-Star Game used to refine the system and build familiarity ahead of a full rollout.

If approved, the 2026 season would mark the first time automated strike calls are used in regular-season MLB games. The transition would proceed alongside ongoing use of ABS in the minors and is intended to reduce disputes while maintaining the integrity of the game.