Move over human home plate umpires, if MLB has it their way we may see automatic balls and strikes being called in a couple of years from now.
A recent ESPN profile of Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), has illuminated the direction professional baseball will be heading this decade. The primary alteration on his list is increasing the pace of the sport through a set of rule changes that would ultimately generate more action, and thus (the league hopes) draw more fans. One of these changes would be the implementation of “robo-umpires,” for the 2024 season.
While the decision is not yet a foregone conclusion, in the profile, Manfred notes that an automated ball-strike zone system would “likely be introduced.” Still, given that “Robo-umpires” were integrated into the MLB’s AAA system (highest level of the minor leagues) at the beginning of this current season, it suggests strike-zone automation is coming sooner rather than later.
For anyone that might not be familiar, “Robo-umpires” take out the human error element of pitch-calling by deducing whether or not a given throw is located in the strike zone or outside of it. Not only would it allow for the correct call to be made virtually every time, much like FIFA has done with its own goal and limb tracking technology, but it would also speed up the pace of MLB games. According to the aforementioned profile, the system has shaved off an average of nine minutes of game length in the minors.
This move would be made to expedite the MLB’s pace of play, and the league estimates that it could “shave an average of 30 minutes off game times.” In an era that is becoming increasingly defined by attention, and the corporate interests that are vying for it, baseball seems like it is finally joining the party.