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Baseball fans are getting a glimpse of what an automated strike zone might look like in the MLB. There has been some experimentation at the minor league level that could lead to a major change in the near future.
The strike zone is one of the most controversial areas in baseball. Balls and strikes are called on nearly every play, and the human element has become more and more evident with the introduction of that little square box that sits above home plate for fans watching on TV. Umps aren’t perfect, and it’s now easier than ever to criticize missed calls.
The debate of using technology continues to pick up more steam among viewers. The MLB already uses review to look at safe/out calls, fair/foul rulings, and home run confirmations. It could soon come to the strike zone, too.
Minor league baseball games are using an automated strike zone to review pitches.
The lower level is now using an NFL-like challenge system where hitters, pitchers, and catchers can call for a review on pitches they believe were missed.
This article from MLB.com further explains the challenge system.
The challenge system is akin to what is used in tennis. Umpires make the ball-and-strike calls, and pitchers, catchers and batters have the ability to make an appeal to the ABS system.
Each team gets three challenges per game, with successful challenges retained for future use in the game.
Viewers got to see this in a recent game involving a Yankees farm system team.
Jasson Dominguez using the automated strike zone to his advantage in the Arizona Fall League! pic.twitter.com/JgismbfDm7
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 20, 2022
Jasson Dominguez was thrown a low pitch, which was called a strike. He questioned the call and tapped his helmet to signal a challenge. On the scoreboard, a replay of the pitch was shown with the automated strike zone deciding whether or not it was in the zone.
Dominguez won in this instance, helping flip the count in his favor.
The challenge system allows umpires to continue calling games, but it does eliminate some of the human error. It may not be perfect, but it will help ensure more pitches are called correctly.
It’s likely just a matter of time before we see this in the MLB.