Baseball fans tuning in to the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 15, could be getting a glimpse of what’s ahead for all regular-season games next year. Earlier this week, the league announced that the Midsummer Classic will feature the automated ball-strike (ABS) system.
MLB began testing the ABS system in the minor leagues in 2021, and it has been a fixture in Triple-A games for several seasons. Most recently, it was used during Spring Training, with nearly 60% of those games employing the system.
Here’s how it worked in Spring Training — and how it will work on Tuesday.
The ABS system relies on Hawk-Eye technology to track pitch trajectory and its position relative to the strike zone, instantly determining whether it’s a ball or a strike. Each team is allowed two challenges per game to review ball and strike calls. However, only pitchers, catchers, and hitters can initiate a challenge, and it must be done immediately after the pitch — meaning no assistance from the dugout or other players on the field is permitted. To signal a challenge, a player taps their hat or helmet to alert the umpire. Once a review is triggered, an animated replay of the pitch appears on the scoreboard, and the home plate umpire will either uphold or overturn the original call.
According to the league, fan reviews of the ABS system during Spring Training were overwhelmingly positive. In a poll, 72% called the system a “positive,” 69% said they’d like to see it implemented moving forward, and only 10% expressed any negativity toward its use.
Using the ABS system in the All-Star Game is likely another way for MLB to gauge its appeal ahead of possible implementation in the regular season next year. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already stated that he plans to bring forward a proposal on the ABS system at the league’s Joint Competition Committee later this summer. Depending on what comes out of that meeting, fans could see the ABS system adopted part time or full time in MLB as early as next season.
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