MLB’s Robot Umpire Makes an Impact in All-Star Game
Cal Raleigh’s performance during the first robot umpire challenge was as impressive as his victory in Monday night’s Home Run Derby where he secured the championship. The Seattle Mariners catcher signaled for a review of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) during the first inning of the National League’s victory on Tuesday night, successfully overturning a strikeout of San Diego’s Manny Machado by Detroit’s Tarik Skubal.
“You take ‘em any way you can get ’em, boys,” Skubal remarked on the mound hahaha 777 ph login register. During this inaugural use of the ABS system in an All-Star context, four out of five challenges of plate umpire Dan Iassogna’s calls were successful. The system, which may debut in the regular season next year, saw Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson make history as the first batter to call for a challenge, successfully reversing a 1-0 fastball from Washington’s MacKenzie Gore that was initially called a strike in the fifth inning.
Miami’s Kyle Stowers faced disappointment as the ABS upheld a full-count fastball from Andres Munoz, resulting in an inning-ending strikeout in the eighth. Meanwhile, Mets closer Edwin Diaz secured a three-pitch strikeout against Randy Arozarena to cap the top of the ninth with a pitch that Iassogna believed was outside the strike zone. Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk also used the ABS to secure a strike call on a 100.1 mph offering from Aroldis Chapman to Brendan Donovan with two outs.
“The fans enjoy it. I thought the players had fun with it,” remarked NL manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. “There’s strategy involved if it carries over to the regular season. Personally, I like it. I believe it’s a positive step for the game.” Skubal had previously allowed a two-run double by Ketel Marte and got his first out by retiring the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman before facing Machado, where he quickly fell behind 0-2 in the count. After an 89.5 mph changeup that elicited a “Ball down!” call from Iassogna, Raleigh’s gesture prompted a review using the computer umpire, currently being trialed and set for possible regular-season adoption in 2026.
“Obviously, that was a strike, so I called for it and it did us a solid,” Raleigh noted after the review. An animated graphic showed the computer’s analysis on the scoreboard and during the broadcast, leading to laughter in the dugout from Roberts following the challenge. “I knew it was a strike,” said Machado. Skubal, however, expressed that he doesn’t plan to use challenges during regular-season games should the ABS be implemented, instead opting to trust his catchers. “I joked about using two challenges on the first pitches just so we wouldn’t have them for the rest of the game,” he added. “I’m just going to assume that it’s going to happen next year.”
Prior to the game, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned that the 11-man competition committee will consider the ABS for the upcoming season. “I think the ability to correct a bad call in a high-leverage situation without slowing down the game is something we should continue to explore,” Manfred stated. ABS decisions can have an error margin of up to half an inch, which has raised some concerns.
“Our guys are worried about that half inch, especially regarding the number of challenges available in a game,” noted union head Tony Clark. “Do we need a buffer zone consideration? Or should we prioritize addressing the most egregious errors?” However, Manfred seemed unconcerned, asserting, “I don’t believe technology necessitates a buffer zone. I don’t see why we should call something a strike in a review system if it clearly isn’t jili free 100 download.”
MLB defines the top of the automated strike zone at 53.5% of a batter’s height and the bottom at 27%, using the midpoint of the plate as the basis, which is 8.5 inches from both the front and back. This framework differs from the traditional cubical strike zone described in the rule book. “We haven’t yet discussed how the strike zone is going to be measured or if any adjustments are needed,” Clark added. “There’s much to deliberate, even though it seems increasingly inevitable.”
Manfred has been testing the ABS in minor leagues since 2019, first for all pitches before switching to a challenge system. Each team receives two challenges and retains one if successful, with only catchers, batters, and pitchers allowed to call for a review.
“Our progress with ABS has heavily relied on player feedback,” he emphasized. “If you had asked me two years ago what the owners wanted, they likely would have called every pitch with ABS as soon as possible due to a strong interest in accuracy. We owe it to our fans to strive for precision, particularly since players have expressed a strong preference for the challenge system we tested.”
Skubal raised a concern about unplanned scenarios. “What happens if there’s a power outage and we lose ABS? 777 jili slot casino Sometimes we miss Hawk-Eye or Trackman data. Will we expect umpires to call balls and strikes in an ABS zone then?” he questioned. 22win login
The Associated Press contributed to this report. how much is a bmw in the philippines
What are your thoughts on the use of robot umpires in Major League Baseball?