MLB will use robot umpires in 2026, with pitch calls reviewed via Hawk-Eye tech and teams challenging two pitches per game.

Major League Baseball will introduce robot umpires in 2026 using the Automated Ball-Strike System, which uses Hawk-Eye technology to track pitches and determine strikes. Human umpires will make initial calls, but teams can challenge two pitches per game—plus extra challenges in extra innings—by tapping helmets or caps. Successful challenges are preserved, and reviews appear on videoboards. The system adjusts the strike zone to each batter’s height and has been tested since 2019, with 80% of challenges successful in the 2025 All-Star Game. MLB aims to reduce ejections tied to balls and strikes, which accounted for over 60% of such incidents in recent seasons. Umpires currently call about 94% of pitches correctly.