As the 2025 Major League Baseball season prepares to go into full swing this March, spring training is in full force, giving players a chance to fine-tune their skills and adjust to new innovations shaping the game. Among these developments are cutting-edge technologies designed to improve accuracy and fairness on the field. From the implementation of the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system to pitch challenges, this preseason has been a glimpse into the evolving future of baseball.
The Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system
Since the sport began over a century ago, players and audience members have relied on the umpire’s judgment to call balls and strikes at home plate. The strike zone on a player can be very hard to judge at times, and for this reason, umpires, coaches, and players have gotten into heated arguments over the topic, leading to ejections, fights, and more. To combat human error when calling out the pitches, the MLB is beginning to use the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system. The ABS system still has a human umpire behind the plate calling balls and strikes, but it contains “Hawk-Eye technology running in the background, monitoring the exact location of the pitch relative to the batter’s strike zone,” according to MLB.com. Throughout the spring training period, the ABS system has been utilized to ensure its reliability to incorporate it into regular season games.
Pitch Challenging
Alongside the ABS system, the MLB has introduced a pitch challenge system, allowing pitchers, catchers, and batters to challenge an umpire’s call on balls and strikes. Unlike other review systems in baseball, managers and coaches cannot initiate these challenges.
Once a challenge is issued, the ABS’s advanced tracking technology is used to review the pitch quickly and confirm whether the original call should stand or be overturned. This new process adds an extra layer of strategy to the game, as players must be selective about when to challenge calls.
Notable Preseason Moments
In the New York Mets’ first game of the preseason against the Houston Astros, Juan Soto, an outfielder who previously played for the New York Yankees and was acquired through a $765 million deal, hit a towering 426-foot home run to left-center field. This was Juan Soto’s first game appearance as a New York Met and also his first at-bat of the preseason.
As the regular season approaches, the baseball world is left wondering: Will the ABS system become a permanent fixture, or will it be scrapped? Could pitch challenges revolutionize the way balls and strikes are called?
One thing is certain—spring training has set the stage for an exciting season, where technology and tradition collide in America’s pastime.
