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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is aiming for the automated balls and strikes (ABS) system to be implemented next season.
Manfred announced on Wednesday that he and his office will introduce a proposal to MLB’s competition committee to have the system in place for 2026, a goal he had in mind last summer.
“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 at MLB headquarters on Wednesday, via The Athletic.
“I think that teams are really positive about ABS. You know, I do have that unscientific system that I use — my email traffic — and my distinct impression is that using ABS in spring training has made people more prone to complain about balls and strike calls via email, to me, referencing the need for ABS. That is undoubtedly true, undoubtedly true.”
The system was a full-go in spring training this year after several seasons in the minor leagues. Teams got two challenges per game but were able to retain each challenge won. Only the batter, pitcher or catcher could challenge a call, and it had to be immediately after the call with no help from the bench or other players.
But there are still some kinks that need fine-tuning.
“My single biggest concern is working through the process and deploying it in a way that’s acceptable to the players,” Manfred said. “There’s always going to be things around the edges that we need to work through and whatever, and I want them to feel like we respected the committee process and that there was a full airing of concerns about the system, and an attempt to address those concerns before we go forward.”
It is yet another big change to the sport commissioned by Manfred, who implemented a pitch timer, larger bases and shift limits in 2023. However, fans seem to like the changes as attendance has increased in each of the last two years. It was the first time since 2011 and 2012 that attendance grew in back-to-back seasons.
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The average ABS challenge in the minors has taken 17 seconds, so this should not affect the pace of play, which has significantly increased amid the commissioner’s rule changes.
“We bargained for the right to make these kind of rule changes,” Manfred said. “It was a really important part of the deal from our perspective. Everybody understood what the rules of the road are. … Unlike the prior provision, there’s actually a process that is involved that you go through that you kind of have a chance to vet and talk about what should happen with the players. So I’m less reticent about that.
This, however, would arguably be the biggest change of them all, and it would come at quite wild timing: a lockout is looming at MLB’s collective bargaining agreement ends in December of next year.
But Manfred said, “In the past, I have been a little squeamish about the year before bargaining. I don’t feel that way right now.”
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