(New York) Major League Baseball will test robots to review ball and strike calls during upcoming training camps.
This will be implemented in 13 stadiums, hosting a total of 19 teams.
The experiment could lead to use of the automated system in the regular season in 2026.
MLB has been experimenting with the system in the minor leagues since 2019, but we are still working to define the strike zone.
“This will be a significant opportunity for all players in the majors to see what the system will look like,” commissioner Rob Manfred said of plans for the spring.
“It won’t be in every stadium, but every team will get significant exposure. »
An agreement involving the big leagues will have to be reached with the Major League Baseball Umpires Association, whose collective bargaining agreement expires on 1is December.
“I would like to have it in 2026, but we have an obligation to collective bargaining,” Manfred said.
The system tested in the spring will have to be evaluated by teams and players before major league baseball determines how to move forward.
