Phase 1 of robot umpires has arrived.
Two challenges per team per game but you retain your challenge if you get it right. One challenge per inning in extra innings if a team doesn't have any challenges left.
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40 sats \ 6 replies \ @Cje95 23 Sep
THANK GOD!
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10 sats \ 5 replies \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
My sentiments exactly. Tired of umps sucking and screwing up games.
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40 sats \ 4 replies \ @Cje95 23 Sep
Suddenly knowing the strike zone is going to be a MUCH bigger deal!
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10 sats \ 3 replies \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
Umps might actually get better too because currently they like to call their own strike zones but if they are consistently wrong about pitches on the edges or high or low they will need to adjust to the real strike zone.
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40 sats \ 2 replies \ @Cje95 23 Sep
I will say I will miss the good umps who had their own slightly different zones but called perfect games… adding that dimension was really cool
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10 sats \ 1 reply \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
I don't mind when they are consistent but when they give one guy 2 inches off the plate and not the other guy that's infuriating. I don't think it is intentional it is probably the angle the pitch is coming in looks like a strike for some guys 2 inches off the plate and others not so much. But it's good to clean that stuff up.
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @Cje95 23 Sep
1000% agree!
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40 sats \ 4 replies \ @Jer 23 Sep
Wow!
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21 sats \ 3 replies \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
Very exciting. I am sick and tired of watching umps suck. I get it is a hard job, not saying I could do it, but let's get the calls right.
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 23 Sep
Agreed.
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40 sats \ 1 reply \ @Jer 23 Sep
I think they made a big mistake when they started putting the strike zone box on the television screen many years ago. The box doesn’t seem to change regardless of the batter size, but the strike zone obviously does.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
I like the box. It confirms my biases. Haha
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80 sats \ 1 reply \ @0xbitcoiner 23 Sep
I had to look that up. Sounds like it's way more fair. This site has some videos that break it down really well, for people who are totally out of the loop, like me!
https://www.mlb.com/news/abs-challenge-system-mlb-2026
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33 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
Very good rule change.
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40 sats \ 1 reply \ @Jer 23 Sep
This will make for some interesting locker room conversations as to who actually gets to use the challenges vs. keep their yap closed.
I think we as fans think team first but these players are independent contractors, with big egos and often times, in it for themselves regardless of how the club tries to portray the chemistry.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby OP 23 Sep
I think early in the year you just tell guys to be judicious. If it's not a strike three call or not a key situation or not certain you are going to win don't challenge and then you see how it goes and you decide which guys you have to reign in and which ones you feel comfortable giving the freedom to challenge. I think the catchers will probably initially have complete autonomy to challenge.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @nitter 23 Sep
https://xcancel.com/MLB/status/1970546182893248800
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