The forthcoming Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Truist Park in suburban Atlanta will feature the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, which could become a regular part of the league as early as 2026. The ABS challenge system allows catchers or batters to request video reviews of a limited number of ball or strike calls during the game, as reported by ESPN.

As outlined by CBS Sports earlier this year, the ABS is customized for individuals based on their heights, rather than employing a generic strike zone that is commonly shown on broadcasts. The challenge feature permits human umpires to continue making most of the calls, where the player indicates a challenge by tapping their helmet. Following this, replay review determines the correct decision, with each team allowed two challenges. If they are correct, they keep their challenge, similar to the current replay system. Over the previous spring training, 617 out of 1,182 challenges, or 52.2%, were deemed successful.

The ABS system has already been utilized in the minor leagues, demonstrating its functionality. It works efficiently, as illustrated in a notable instance where an inning-ending strikeout was subsequently changed to a game-tying walk in about 15 seconds, competing in speed with NFL challenges and quicker than NBA reviews and EPL VAR decisions.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has stated his intention to propose the ABS system for adoption by the competition committee, aiming for implementation in the 2026 regular season. Like other levels of play, using the challenge system rather than a fully automated strike zone will still prioritize the role of umpires.

It remains to be seen if players will be inclined to challenge calls during the All-Star Game, but this high-profile event serves as a significant test bed for this new system.