MLB umpires have one of the hardest jobs on the planet. They are tasked with making split second decisions on hundreds of pitches every game. Not to mention, pitchers are throwing harder than ever with more movement than ever. All while there's a little white box on the TV screen that allows fans to argue and critique every single call.
They're expected to be perfect within a few inches and quite frankly, they're far from perfect. So, the idea of robot umpires and an automated strike zone has been floated around over the last few years. This idea has made its way into lower levels of baseball in a ton of different fashions.
There are fully automated robot umpire games and there's a challenging system that allows pitchers and hitters a select few challenges per game. But, as for MLB, neither of these robot umpire systems will be brought to the game in 2025.
Rob Manfred shuts down the idea of robot umpires in MLB in 2025
“We still have some technical issues,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, h/t the Associated Press. “We haven’t made as much progress in the minor leagues this year as we sort of hoped at this point. I think it’s becoming more and more likely that this will not be a go for ’25.”
There are two sides to the debate. Some love the art of pitch framing and the role the umpires play in the game. They're not a fan of automating the calls. But the other side is quick to argue that a ball is a ball, and a strike is a strike. The umpire shouldn't get to decide the outcome of a game based on missed calls. Especially if the umpire is acting emotionally based on other situations that occurred in the game.
Either way, the robot umpires still have a way to go before they're pitched at the highest level of the game. They will have to be fine-tuned and developed perfectly before the owners and the commissioner give them a chance. So, next season is officially out of the question.
Maybe in 2026?