Among the many rules changes Major League Baseball is experimenting with in the minors this year is the expansion of the use of the automated strike zone, which will be used in Low Class A Southeast games.
The so-called “robo-umps” were first tried out in the Atlantic League and Arizona Fall League in 2019, and an MLB news release stated the ABS (Automatic Ball-Strike System) will “assist home plate umpires with calling balls and strikes, ensure a consistent strike zone is called and determine the optimal strike zone for the system.”
“It’s inevitable, right?” Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said.