MLB analyst believes framers will have tough time behind the plate with the advent of robo umpires - "Won’t have a job overnight"

During the 2022 season, Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that the league will soon use robot umpires. MLB wants to use robot umpires beginning with the 2024 season.

Manfred justified the modification by saying it would speed up games. And anyone who has seen baseball in recent years will know that a machine would almost certainly call balls and strikes more accurately than people do.

"MLB used the Automatic Ball-Strike system at five triple-A stadiums for parts of last season and will go ahead with the wider use this year if owners approve of it next month" - cbcsports

Officially referred to as the "automated ball-strike system," robot umpires technology isn't really new. Over the past few years, it has made its debut in minor league baseball games. In comparison to human umpires, computerized technologies track pitches and properly call balls and strikes.

They can be used in one of two ways. One is a fully automated system that determines whether every pitch is a ball or a strike and informs the umpire of the result.

MLB may also decide to use the AI as a review system, much like VAR in soccer or the Hawk-Eye system in professional tennis, where each side is given a predetermined amount of challenges, which are then adjudicated by the automated system.

"Once robo umps arrive, (the framers) won’t have a job overnight" - Bob Klapisch via nj.com.

Jose Trevino and other catchers of his caliber will be looking forward to Opening Day 2024 because that is the year they will significantly alter their playing strategies. Catchers like Trevino, who excels at framing pitches, might go extinct as a result of the likely introduction of robot umpires to the Major Leagues.

Rob Manfred, the commissioner, reacted after hearing criticism of human umpires from all sides, including players, managers, and especially fans.

Robot Umpires will change the dynamics of MLB

It is said that the technology will be employed in two separate ways. The electronic strike zone will be used to determine all calls in the first half of the game, and the ABS challenge system, which allows teams to successfully contest up to three calls per game, will be used in the other half.

"This Angel Hernandez Simulator is legit" - oliverklozoff_

The data gathered in 2023 will help with "future choices," according to the study, which states that there is no deadline for using the technology at the MLB level. The use of the technology in minor league baseball, though, may indicate that the major league is considering utilizing it sooner rather than later.

"Triple A approves the use of the ABS system for 2023. I think it's very likely we'll see this technology replace human umpires in MLB over the next few years." - michaeltaube

Robotic umpires have long felt like an impending reality. Ask anyone who has been wronged by a VAR call in a thrilling soccer match; they won't solve everything, and they won't put an end to fan disagreements. Robots, though, could quicken the pace as baseball tries to find new methods to engage a younger audience that is uninterested in a five-hour game.