Major League Baseball (MLB) debuted its new automated ball-strike challenge system, known as a “robot ump,” during the opening game of spring training between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The system, which uses Hawkeye technology powered by Statcast, allowed both teams to initiate challenges twice during the game.
The first challenge occurred in the bottom of the first inning when starting pitcher Cody Poteet had a pitch call overturned from ball to strike against Max Muncy, changing the count from 1-1 to 0-2. The second challenge took place in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Frank Scalzo Jr.’s attempt was unsuccessful.
While MLB has no plans to implement the robot ump system in the major leagues this year, it is being tested during spring training with a possible adoption for the 2026 season. The minor leagues have already been using the system, and 13 stadiums are incorporating it into their spring training games this season, covering over 60% of all spring training contests.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/mlb-debuts-robot-ump-challenge-system-at-dodgers-cubs-spring-training-opener-005609472.html