MLB votes to allow robot umps for challenges during 2026 season

Former MLB pitcher Adam Wainwright is a fan of the league's new rules, but he told Fox News Digital what he misses most about the old-school game.

For the first time in MLB history, balls and strikes will be able to be challenged starting in the 2026 regular season. 

The Automated Balls/Strikes (ABS) Challenge System, which was featured during spring training to test it at the big league level, will be implemented after the Joint Competition Committee voted for it on Tuesday afternoon. 

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred made an announcement on the massive change to the game of baseball. 

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Home plate umpire Jen Pawol calls a strike during the third inning of a spring training baseball game between the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.  (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

"The previous rule changes that have been adopted by the Joint Competition Committee have had staying power and created momentum for the game," he said in a statement. "We used the same process with ABS that started with listening to fans, conducting extensive testing at the Minor League level, and trying at every step to make the game better. Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players. The strong preference from players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today."

As Manfred mentioned, this isn’t a total "robot umps" takeover in MLB, as regular umpires will still be behind the plate calling balls and strikes. Instead, the system is a type of middle ground, as the ABS Challenge System allows teams to request a fast