CLEVELAND, Ohio – Major League Baseball in 2026 will introduce a system that won’t just change how games are called – it also will fundamentally transform how umpires are evaluated, discussed, and potentially even assigned to games.
The announcement of an automated ball-strike challenge system for 2026 represents a shift in baseball’s approach to umpiring.
On the latest Terry’s Talkin’ podcast, cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto said he’s a fan of the new system and what it will do.
“Absolutely. Why not?” Pluto said. “It’s not like it’s going to get in the way of the game. And then that way it’ll be very interesting if this has an impact on umpiring, because they’ll start having numbers of how many of these guys are getting overturned.”
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The challenge system, tested successfully in spring training, will give teams two challenges per game. Only pitchers, catchers, and batters can request reviews, and successful challenges will be allow teams to keep that challenge for later in the game.
But the true game-changer is how this creates a public, real-time accounting of umpire accuracy, Pluto said.
“And then all of a sudden … by the time we’re in June, it’s like, ‘Hey, we got the umpire today who’s had more calls overturned behind home plate than anybody else this year.’ Hello,” Pluto said, highlighting how this transparency will change the conversation around umpiring.
Unlike the current system, where umpire performance metrics exist but aren’t prominently featured during broadcasts, these challenges will create immediate, visible accountability. Every overturned call will become a data point in a public record of umpire performance.
“I’m telling you, we’re gonna see stats on these guys,” Pluto said. “Nobody’s gonna care what, you know, Statcast has on this.
“No, we’ve been charting these games and this guy keeps getting overturned. You know, that kind of stuff. And they’ll have a comparison of to other umpires and it will, I think it’ll create a whole other avenue of accountability and also discussion. That’ll be fun.”
This unprecedented level of scrutiny could change how umpires approach their craft. Will we see umpires adjust their strike zones knowing their calls are subject to challenge? Will MLB eventually use challenge success rates in determining playoff assignments?
MLB is trying to balance tradition with technology, preserving the human element while introducing a limited technological backstop.
Based on spring training data, catchers have had the highest success rate challenging calls at 56%.
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