The strike zone change expected in MLB broadcasts with ABS system’s implementation

Major League Baseball is being extra cautious with the new Automated Ball Strike Challenge System going into effect this season.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that MLB broadcasts will not show whether a pitch is a ball or a strike on the on-screen strike zone in an effort to make sure no one can exploit the ABS system through on-air broadcast.

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However, in theory, that would have already been hard to do, and the change is one that likely would have gone unnoticed by viewers at home.

The broadcast will still show pitches in the strike zone box, but there will not be any definitive indication of what the right call is, which had been shown through a circle within the strike zone box that would be filled in to mark a strike or hollowed out to indicate a ball.

“The change was made because that box will now be used for the ABS system, and MLB is doing everything it can to ensure no one can exploit it. In fact, the box will be shown in just one place in the ballpark: the broadcast booth,” the Sun-Times wrote in their report.

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The change does appear to be superfluous, considering the short window of time that players have to challenge a ball or strike call.

The batter, pitcher or catcher is the only one who is allowed to challenge and is not allowed any assistance in doing so, and the challenges must be made immediately, essentially making it impossible for anyone to try and cheat the system using the broadcast.

The challenge is initiated by a player tapping the top of his head, and then an animation of the pitch in question is shown on the stadium videoboard and on the television broadcast.

The ABS system has been tested in the minors since 2022 and was used during spring training last year.

MLB voted to adopt ABS last September.