Teams successful on 52.2% of ball/strike challenges during spring training robot umpire test

NEW YORK (AP) — Teams won 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges during the spring training test of robot umpires, and catchers had a markedly better success rate than pitchers.

Major League Baseball said Wednesday that 617 of 1,182 challenges were successful in the 288 exhibition games using the Automated Ball-Strike System.

Batters won exactly 50% of their 596 challenges and the defense 54%, with catchers successful 56% of the time and pitchers 41%.

Teams challenged 2.6% of called pitches; offense asked for computer reviews of 4.4% and the defense 1.8%.

ABS was installed at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams, and an animation of the pitch was shown on video boards showing spectators the challenge result.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says robot umpires could be used as early as the 2026 regular season but feedback from players and teams needs to be gathered and analyzed before a decision is made.

During the 2024 regular season, 10.9% of called pitches in the strike zone were ruled balls and 6.3% of called pitches outside of the strike zone were ruled strikes, according to MLB Statcast.

Challenges averaged 4.1 per game. The overturn rate was slightly higher than the 50.6% for minor league games with the ABS system last year.

A challenge averaged 13.8 seconds, down from 16.6 at Triple-A.

Teams used their most challenges with a full count, 6.9%, but were successful just 44% of the time. While just 1.9% of first pitches were challenged, the success rate was 57%.

Challenges were made more often earlier in the game; 2.8% of called pitches were challenged in the first three innings, 2.6% in the middle innings, 2.3% in the seventh and eighth and 2.4% in the ninth. The overturn rate declined from 57% in the third three innings to 49% in the middle innings, then was 50% in the seventh and eighth, and 41% in the ninth.

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