Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game will feature a change that baseball fans have been longing to see.
The Automated Ball-Strike System will be in place for the Midsummer Classic as the league continues to test the system out before officially bringing it to MLB. And it seems that implementation may be just around the corner.
During a Monday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred let slip that Tuesday’s use of the ABS system will be a major test ahead of its potential introduction in MLB in 2026.
“This year the emails about bad balls and strike calls have gone up like crazy, because [fans] have now seen that you can do it better, and the sort of theme of the emails is ‘What the hell are you waiting for?'” Manfred said.
“We’re going to use [the ABS] tonight. It’s been used in the minor leagues for several years and we tested it with big league guys in spring training last year. We’re in a process directed at bringing it to the big leagues next year,” he added.
“We’re gonna use the Automated Ball-Strike system in the All-Star Game..
We’re in the process of bringing it to the big leagues next season” ~ Rob Manfred #ProgrumSummerRoadTrip https://t.co/oUZ8Luvz1y pic.twitter.com/pvGSNqekkI
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 14, 2025
Manfred made clear that while the league is hoping to implement the ABS in MLB by 2026, it fully intends to “preserve” the roles of umpires in games, and he even denounced the term “robot umpires” when discussing the Automated Ball-Strike System.
