2026 will be a big year for the sport of baseball. The upcoming World Baseball Classic and possible labor stoppage have been dominating headlines due to their sheer scale of impact, but at the end of last season, it was announced that it would also be the first season to see the adoption of the Automated Ball-Strike System.
The name might lead you to believe that it removes the need for home plate umpires altogether, but it's being rolled out as more of a challenge system, at least at first. The ability to challenge a pitch will be limited to just three people: the batter, pitcher, and catcher.