The future is now. At least that’s what the latest news out of Major League Baseball would seem to indicate. Following a postseason where blown balls/strikes calls seemed to dominate headlines, MLB announced that they would be testing out automated strike zone technology at home plate in 2022 at the Triple-A level.
11 minor league ballparks are set to be outfitted with the technology with a chance to see even more than that using the “robo-umps” in the 2nd half of the season. Dubbed the Automated Ball-Strike system (or ABS for short), the technology made its debut during the Atlantic League’s 2019 All-Star game.
ABS has also seen action in the Arizona Fall League, and Low A South East League. There’s a possibility that following the ratification of a new CBA between the league and players union that Spring Training facilities could be logical test sites for Major League players.
While the “promotion” brings ABS one step closer to Major League implementation, it’s far from a slam dunk that we’ll see the robo-ump technology in an MLB game anytime soon. Detractors are quick to point out that the technology is far from perfect, and can sometimes have flawed ball/strike calls on breaking balls.
Others lament the impersonal nature of the machines, and how baseball continues to lean further into advanced analytics and technology while seemingly straying from the human element that makes sports so unique.
However for every anti-tech fan, there’s an equally vocal supporter of ABS who believes the switch can’t be made soon enough. Red Sox fans are still complaining about how Laz Diaz’s less than stellar performance likely cost them their series against the Astros this fall.
A recent study by Boston University found that based on data from the 2018 season, umpires blew 34,294 ball/strike calls during the regular season. Breaking that figure down further, that’s an average of 14 blown calls per game or 1.6 per inning.
While that figure alone is enough to raise eyebrows, the study also found that in 2018, 55 games ended on incorrect ball/strike calls. That’s 55 games that could have had a decidedly different outcome on divisional and wildcard races.
So while we’re a ways away from seeing robo-umps get called up to the big leagues, at some point in our lifetimes, the technology will be ready to make its MLB debut.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner