Rule Changes for 2026

[nobleisthyname]

I think there will be serious discussions of a fully automatic strikezone by the all star break. This isn't sustainable right now with the amount of calls being overturned. It puts umpire in a terrible spot and somehow I feel like there is more anger about strike zones than before this system.

Was definitely frustrating seeing Nasim waste the Nats' last challenge on a clear strike.

[imref]

First manager ejection. The Twins' Derek Shelton got ejected after arguing that the ABS system was wrong on a 3-2 pitch to Josh Bell (ABS called it a strike).

I don't know how you argue against a robot.

OTOH the fans in Cincy were loving Bucknor constantly getting overturned.

[blue911]

Can’t wait for CB to file a complaint about a hostile work environment.

[HalfSmokes]

I think there will be serious discussions of a fully automatic strikezone by the all star break. This isn't sustainable right now with the amount of calls being overturned. It puts umpire in a terrible spot and somehow I feel like there is more anger about strike zones than before this system.

There should be. The league has the correct call available 100% of the time now with zero delay, yet we continue subject games to the whims of umpires

[imref]

incorrect call report:

(MLB Umps In Their First Outing, via @UmpScorecards)

26 CB Bucknor
19 Tripp Gibson, Chris Segal
16 Dan Iassogna, Ramon De Jesus
14 Cory Blaser, Ben May
13 Adrian Johnson, D.J. Reyburn, Bill Miller
12 Marvin Hudson, Andy Fletcher, Jim Wolf, Bruce Dreckman, Carlos Torres, Chad Whitson, Roberto Ortiz, Malachi Moore
11 Chris Conroy, David Rackley, Sean Barber
10 Brian O'Nora, Chris Guccione, Stu Scheurwater, Will Little, Brennan Miller
9 Laz Diaz, Mark Wegner, Alan Porter, Lance Barrett, Ryan Additon, Nestor Ceja, Adam Beck
8 Lance Barksdale, Rob Drake, John Tumpane, Gabe Morales, Jansen Visconti
7 Doug Eddings, Alfonso Márquez, Ryan Blakney, Quinn Wolcott
6 Chad Fairchild, James Hoye, Mike Muchlinski
5 Jordan Baker, Ryan Wills

[JCA-CrystalCity]

incorrect call report:

(MLB Umps In Their First Outing, via @UmpScorecards)

26 CB Bucknor
19 Tripp Gibson, Chris Segal
16 Dan Iassogna, Ramon De Jesus
14 Cory Blaser, Ben May
13 Adrian Johnson, D.J. Reyburn, Bill Miller
12 Marvin Hudson, Andy Fletcher, Jim Wolf, Bruce Dreckman, Carlos Torres, Chad Whitson, Roberto Ortiz, Malachi Moore
11 Chris Conroy, David Rackley, Sean Barber
10 Brian O'Nora, Chris Guccione, Stu Scheurwater, Will Little, Brennan Miller
9 Laz Diaz, Mark Wegner, Alan Porter, Lance Barrett, Ryan Additon, Nestor Ceja, Adam Beck
8 Lance Barksdale, Rob Drake, John Tumpane, Gabe Morales, Jansen Visconti
7 Doug Eddings, Alfonso Márquez, Ryan Blakney, Quinn Wolcott
6 Chad Fairchild, James Hoye, Mike Muchlinski
5 Jordan Baker, Ryan Wills

I think guys who were regarded as good umpires for being consistent even if their strike zone is a little off the standard will be punished a bit in the early going. I don't think most of the guys in the 10-12 range were thought to be bad umps. OTOH, CB by himself is the reason fans wanted ABS.

[Smithian]

I think a huge problem is very rarely did umpires ever have a correct by the book zone. For over a century, players and fans accepted some umpires had certain zones and during a game an umpire may give a lot in one area but not in another spot. That variety slowly crept away with advanced stats and better strike zone monitoring. Now, overnight, every umpire must have the same zone.

I don't think you can expect the human eye to monitor the strike zone accurately and consistently.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think a huge problem is very rarely did umpires ever have a correct by the book zone. For over a century, players and fans accepted some umpires had certain zones and during a game an umpire may give a lot in one area but not in another spot. That variety slowly crept away with advanced stats and better strike zone monitoring. Now, overnight, every umpire must have the same zone.

I don't think you can expect the human eye to monitor the strike zone accurately and consistently.

consistency used to be what the players wanted from the umps. I think it'll be hard for  the previously-consistent ones to adjust to the real zone. They probably thought they WERE calling the zone, so now they have to distrust their eyes. Trusting their eyes  made them good.

[Smithian]

I predict that by the All-Star Break, the league will shift to a system where every pitch is automatically run through ABS. Consequently, you’re going to see umpires waiting a beat on every close call. They’ll still signal the blatant strikes and balls, but for everything else, they’ll hesitate until the system feeds them the answer. Hopefully, they is more like 1 second than 2 or 3 seconds.

I supported the idea of ABS initially, but unless they can make it nearly instantaneous, it’s destined to become the MLB's version of VAR in soccer -- a "good idea in theory" that ruins the flow of the game. We’re reaching a point where you can’t trust your own eyes; you’re afraid to celebrate a huge strikeout or a walk until the officials confirm what the machine saw.

[Natsinpwc]

Yea I mean it was ok for tennis to use challenges initially cause it’s just a few close calls a game.  But they finally automated it all.  Baseball has hundreds of pitches in any game. Just make it right.

[aspenbubba]

I always thought with todays technology that you could project the strike zone like we see on TV but have special glasses that only the umpire could see where the ball is in the zone. Then we could work on a system to have "checked swings" consistemtly called.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/an-early-nerdy-look-at-the-challenge-system/

Ben Clemens article looking at the math behind when to challenge. Like you would figure, earlier on in innings and counts, it makes more sense to challenge egregious calls, while later on and in high leverage situation (such as 3-2 counts with runners on), it also makes sense to challenge close calls. The rates of being correct in challenges aren't much better than coin flips. Even the times that a challenge should be limited to a clear error, challenges are not much better than 60% for catchers challenging balls (the highest rate of success). Run expectancy rather than win probability is better way to look at when to challenge. By my read, it's probably better for a manager to say "don't challenge until there's 2 strikes or 3 balls" and runners on early in games rather than say " don't challenge early in the game unless it is egregious." Later in the game, you can be looser with challenging if you still have 2 challenges, and even later in the game, you can't take challenges with you so you might be inclined to use a challenge in the 9th even if you think it is  less than 50/50.