Sections

Advertisement

Baseball fans were thrilled to see a ball-and-strike call challenge system at a MLB prospects game

It’s only a matter of time until robot umpires — or something of the sort — come to Major League Baseball.

Last summer, MLB fans got to see ABS — the automatic ball-strike system — used at the 2023 MLB Futures Game. And from early reviews, it seems like the system, also used in the the minor leagues, is gaining a lot of fans quite quickly.

On Thursday, the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates prospects played in the inaugural Spring Breakout, a new four-day, 16-game prospect tournament set during spring training. In partnership with Minor League Baseball, the tournament seemingly features minor league rules, such as the implementation of the ABS system.

During the bottom of the second, Orioles pitcher Cade Povich threw a called 3-1 ball before Baltimore’s catcher challenged the call. After a delayed review, the ball was turned into a strike just barely catching the outside, changing it to a 2-2 pitch instead. Pretty cool!

The call was a lengthy one, but it seems like there was a slight issue as minor league calls happen much faster than that. Still, it seemed as if fans in and out of the arena ate the moment up, as we’re drawing one step closer to an automated strike zone in MLB play.

Baseball fans were excited to see a ball-and-strike call challenge at a MLB prospects game.

More MLB