Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 MLB season introduces three major rule changes for various parts of the game.
- Teams now have a system to contest balls and strikes with the new ABS Challenge System.
- Coaches must stay in designated boxes, and new obstruction rules protect infielders from risky runner contact.
If New York Yankees ace Max Fried throws a clear strike to San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers on Wednesday night, and it’s instead ruled a ball, the days of needing to suck it up and suffering in silence — or, as some of us are prone to do, yelling at the TV — are over … somewhat.
Wednesday’s Opening Night showdown between the Yankees and Giants marks the introduction of three new rules, headlined by the automated ball–strike (ABS) challenge system. Depending on how you feel about the pitch clock, the ABS challenge system is perhaps the most significant change we’ve seen in Major League Baseball since the “ghost runner” extra–inning rule was implemented in 2022. For the first time, teams can properly argue balls and strikes without immediately fearing ejection. Of course, if the call is upheld, then Aaron Boone might just find himself watching from the locker room anyway.
With the regular season only days away, let’s get familiar with the newest MLB rules coming our way:
What to know about the (Automatic Ball-Strike) ABS Challenge System
If you’ve paid close attention to spring training games or gotten your “MLB: The Show” fix in, then you’ve already gotten an early glance at the ABS system. Here are the basics to keep in mind:
- Every team starts a game with two challenges that can be used at any time, whether it’s to the leadoff batter in the first inning or with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. However, managers cannot be the ones to call for the challenge; that instead falls on the batter, pitcher, or catcher.
- Teams must challenge the call within two seconds. If that sounds like too short a time, think about how we, as viewers, react when we see a poor strike call. Pitchers, batters, and catchers would almost certainly immediately feel that a call is worth challenging.
- If a call is overruled, the team that challenged keeps that challenge. However, they’ll lose the challenge if the call is upheld.
- If a game goes into extra innings, a team would keep one of its remaining unused ABS challenges into the 10th inning. But if that challenge is used, teams will get a single additional challenge for every extra inning until the game ends.
Although umpires getting balls and strike calls wrong dates back to the sport’s invention, the rise of social media accounts like Umpire Scorecards and Umpire Auditor has only highlighted just how poorly some umpires fare at times. And yes, we just said “umpire” a lot.
Base coaches must stay in their box
Have you ever noticed that some first– and third–base coaches might be outside the small box on their respective sides of the field? That will no longer be the case, as umpires have been ordered to ensure that coaches remain in the box to combat sign stealing. The first violation results in a warning, and a second violation could lead to an ejection.
“This gamesmanship has caused consternation between clubs and compelled MLB to more proactively monitor base coach positioning during the 2025 World Series, alleviating concerns,” MLB’s Anthony Castrovince wrote earlier this year. “Now, that proactive monitoring will occur all season.”
This is believed to be the most significant rule involving base coaches since 2008, when the league mandated that every first– and third–base coach wear a helmet while on the field. That rule change followed the death of Mike Coolbaugh, a Triple–A third–base coach who was struck in the head by a line drive the previous summer.
Intentional obstruction rule for baserunners
Baseball has gotten significantly less violent over the last two decades, a trend that truly began when Major League Baseball began limiting home–plate collisions in 2014. That change came nearly three years after Giants star catcher Buster Posey suffered a season–ending knee injury in May 2011 while blocking home plate.
Although obstruction plays don’t feature the same level of violence, they do run the risk of injuries. That’s where this new rule comes in, as runners cannot initiate contact with infielders in an attempt to draw an obstruction call, nor can they initiate intentional contact while in a rundown or avoiding a tag. Umpires are now ordered to rule the runner out and have all others return to the base last touched.