OT: Robots are being used to challenge balls and strikes during spring training games!

[LionJim]

I’m not sure of how this works but I’m watching TB play the Phillies and this TB player got rung up on a 2-2 pitch, the Rays challenged the call and the robot showed that the ball was two inches low, lol, the call was changed to a ball. The whole thing took maybe ten seconds.

A few thoughts:

1. It’s time to allow the robot to call balls and strikes. Rip the bandaid off already.

2. I would love it the robot is gonna have a role during the regular season but no idea.

3. The Nationals will run away with the NLE.

 

[FHSPSU67]

Robots are much cheaper than hiring proficient umpires, I guess???

 

[LionJim]

Robots are much cheaper than hiring proficient umpires, I guess???

Robots are more accurate than humans in calling balls and strikes.

 

[Parkland Fan]

I’m not sure of how this works but I’m watching TB play the Phillies and this TB player got rung up on a 2-2 pitch, the Rays challenged the call and the robot showed that the ball was two inches low, lol, the call was changed to a ball. The whole thing took maybe ten seconds.

A few thoughts:

1. It’s time to allow the robot to call balls and strikes. Rip the bandaid off already.

2. I would love it the robot is gonna have a role during the regular season but no idea.

3. The Nationals will run away with the NLE.

I go to a lot of the AAA Iron Pigs games and they have been using this system for I believe two years. I was very skeptical until I saw it operate. The video gets posted on the scoreboard and everyone gets to see the result. It takes less than 45 seconds. Only the batter, catcher and pitcher can appeal and they can't look at the dugout for directions. Each team gets two wrong appeals.
I love it.
If they had this in majors years ago, Maddox and Glavine wouldn't be the Hall.

 

[LionJim]

I go to a lot of the AAA Iron Pigs games and they have been using this system for I believe two years. I was very skeptical until I saw it operate. The video gets posted on the scoreboard and everyone gets to see the result. It takes less than 45 seconds. Only the batter, catcher and pitcher can appeal and they can't look at the dugout for directions. Each team gets two wrong appeals.
I love it.
If they had this in mjors years ago, Maddox and Glavine wouldn't be the Hall.

Thanks for the details. Until today, I had zero knowledge of how it all works.

 

[FHSPSU67]

Robots are more accurate than humans in calling balls and strikes.

Sure, but for a long time we could put up with a few bad calls, but now it seems the umps can't offer "few" and some are so horrendous that it questions the integrity of the ump.

 

[LionJim]

Sure, but for a long time we could put up with a few bad calls, but now it seems the umps can't offer "few" and some are so horrendous that it questions the integrity of the ump.

I’m not a cynic but Joe West often had me wondering. Angel Hernandez was just bad, he was an equal opportunity umpire, bad for everyone. I’m convinced that Angel would make bad calls on purpose, no one with an ounce of professional pride could make calls that bad by accident.

 

[EricStratton-RushChairman]

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah but what about females robots?

 

[Erial_Lion]

Believe it or Not, Umpires Are More Accurate Than Ever

Umpires have consistently gotten better at calling balls and strikes.

pitcherlist.com

 

[step.eng69]

I’m not sure of how this works but I’m watching TB play the Phillies and this TB player got rung up on a 2-2 pitch, the Rays challenged the call and the robot showed that the ball was two inches low, lol, the call was changed to a ball. The whole thing took maybe ten seconds.

A few thoughts:

1. It’s time to allow the robot to call balls and strikes. Rip the bandaid off already.

2. I would love it the robot is gonna have a role during the regular season but no idea.

3. The Nationals will run away with the NLE.

This is the robot you're talking about?

.

I'm not on board until a behind the plate 6-foot-tall walking, talking, ball-strike calling, tobacco chewing/spitting humanoid robot is on the field.

 

[LionJim]

This is the robot you're talking about?

.

I'm not on board until a behind the plate 6-foot-tall walking, talking, ball-strike calling, tobacco chewing/spitting humanoid robot is on the field.

It would be cool if we could program it to dance like Emmitt Ashford.

 

[mfb5053]

I’m not a cynic but Joe West often had me wondering. Angel Hernandez was just bad, he was an equal opportunity umpire, bad for everyone. I’m convinced that Angel would make bad calls on purpose, no one with an ounce of professional pride could make calls that bad by accident.

You can add Laz Diaz to the list. He is awful.

 

[Thorndike2021]

What a steaming pile of crap! Get rid of this and the designated hitter nonsense. Bring back real baseball.

And while we're at it, what happened to 'small ball'? You know, hitting behind the runner, choking up and making contact with two strikes, etc.? NO, now we're all just a bunch of overpaid showboats swinging for the fences every pitch. Guys who struck out 10x more than walked last year are making $15 million per season?

Saints preserve us!

 

[CFLion]

Can't wait to see the first manager try to argue with a robo-ump.

 

[Warlerski]

I’m not sure of how this works but I’m watching TB play the Phillies and this TB player got rung up on a 2-2 pitch, the Rays challenged the call and the robot showed that the ball was two inches low, lol, the call was changed to a ball. The whole thing took maybe ten seconds.

A few thoughts:

1. It’s time to allow the robot to call balls and strikes. Rip the bandaid off already.

2. I would love it the robot is gonna have a role during the regular season but no idea.

3. The Nationals will run away with the NLE.

The Atlanta Braves would not have won the 1995 World Series. The umps were calling strikes on pitches 6 inches off of the plate.

 

[Erial_Lion]

And while we're at it, what happened to 'small ball'? You know, hitting behind the runner, choking up and making contact with two strikes, etc.? NO, now we're all just a bunch of overpaid showboats swinging for the fences every pitch. Guys who struck out 10x more than walked last year are making $15 million per season?

It’s like saying “what happened to punting on 4th and 1 in the opponents territory” or “what happened to shooting 18 foot jumpers” or “what happened to waiting until 45 seconds left to pull your goalie”…advances in analytics have taught us that there is a better way.

 

[Grant Green]

Sure, but for a long time we could put up with a few bad calls, but now it seems the umps can't offer "few" and some are so horrendous that it questions the integrity of the ump.

More likely that you can see the mistakes more clearly now that they put up the virtual strike zone.

Per erials post, umps have gotten better.

That said. Bring the robots.

 

[manatree]

The sooner they go to robots for balls and strikes, the better.

 

[razpsu]

I’m not sure of how this works but I’m watching TB play the Phillies and this TB player got rung up on a 2-2 pitch, the Rays challenged the call and the robot showed that the ball was two inches low, lol, the call was changed to a ball. The whole thing took maybe ten seconds.

A few thoughts:

1. It’s time to allow the robot to call balls and strikes. Rip the bandaid off already.

2. I would love it the robot is gonna have a role during the regular season but no idea.

3. The Nationals will run away with the NLE.

So each game and during the game the settings for the strike zone may be off or change during the game? Wonder when the programmer gets paid off or bets on line and makes some money.

 

[Ghost of OM]

Can't wait to see the first manager try to argue with a robo-ump.

Jim Leland would have.

 

[Erial_Lion]

So each game and during the game the settings for the strike zone may be off or change during the game? Wonder when the programmer gets paid off or bets on line and makes some money.

Nope. The zone is based on each player's height.

 

[rudedude]

When a batter challenges the robot ump call!

 

[manatree]

Jim Leland would have.

Leland would not argue with a robot ump. He would merely disconnect the main power cord and use it to light up a fresh Marlboro.

 

[LionJim]

Nope. The zone is based on each player's height.

So the batter’s name is somehow punched in and the strike zone for that particular at-bat is set?

 

[Erial_Lion]

So the batter’s name is somehow punched in and the strike zone for that particular at-bat is set?

It uses the official scoring feed...so whoever is at bat had their height officially recorded before the season, and that height is used to determine the strike zone when a call is challenged.

 

[LionJim]

It uses the official scoring feed...so whoever is at bat had their height officially recorded before the season, and that height is used to determine the strike zone when a call is challenged.

Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Parkland Fan]

It uses the official scoring feed...so whoever is at bat had their height officially recorded before the season, and that height is used to determine the strike zone when a call is challenged.

I am not sure how to cheat the system. Sounds like they covered the loop holes.

 

[Parkland Fan]

It uses the official scoring feed...so whoever is at bat had their height officially recorded before the season, and that height is used to determine the strike zone when a call is challenged.

So the robot has the true height, but what about the human umps?
It's going to be a learning curve for them.

 

[razpsu]

It uses the official scoring feed...so whoever is at bat had their height officially recorded before the season, and that height is used to determine the strike zone when a call is challenged.

Does it take into account cleats and shoes?

 

[Ghost of OM]

Leland would not argue with a robot ump. He would merely disconnect the main power cord and use it to light up a fresh Marlboro.

Ya had to love him.

 

[MtNittany]

I’m not a cynic but Joe West often had me wondering. Angel Hernandez was just bad, he was an equal opportunity umpire, bad for everyone. I’m convinced that Angel would make bad calls on purpose, no one with an ounce of professional pride could make calls that bad by accident.

I assumed Angel's name would be the first thing I read in the first comment.

 

[MtNittany]

View attachment 1231406
Ya had to love him.

My God we loved him in SoFla. Even though Huzienga had constant garage sales, what he, Leyland, the scouting and minor leagues, and the incredible free agents did is hard to repeat. Just a crazy time down here back then.

Watching Josh Beckett stick the bat up the Yankees a** and Miggy get knocked down by Clemons and then hit the next pitch 2 miles was just as unbelievable.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Does it take into account cleats and shoes?

No...they are measured in socks only.

 

[Pa$ky859]

Mixed emotions on this.

I have always liked the human element. It’s what has made the game historic. I’m old enough to remember the KC Royals vs St Louis Cardinals World Series (1985?) where the runner was called safe when he was out by a mile at first base. thats part of the storyline and history of sports. Bad plays, bad calls, etc.

I also know that in an era when sports gambling is bigger than ever, there probably needs to a fool proof system in place. Everything will be okay until the Robot isn’t working.

 

[LionJim]

AI explanation of how the system works.

Google Search

 

[Erial_Lion]

I think many will be surprised at the success rate of the challenges. In Spring Training, challenges were successful at just over 51%. In the minors in 2025, about 1% of pitches were challenged, and they had a success rate around 52%. So it's about 1 in every 200 pitches that's overturned by a challenge.

For a bunch of dudes that most apparently think suck, Professional Umpires do pretty darn well.

 

[LionJim]

I think many will be surprised at the success rate of the challenges. In Spring Training, challenges were successful at just over 51%. In the minors in 2025, about 1% of pitches were challenged, and they had a success rate around 52%. So it's about 1 in every 200 pitches that's overturned by a challenge.

For a bunch of dudes that most apparently think suck, Professional Umpires do pretty darn well.

Yeah, yesterday the Yankees challenged a strike that I thought 100% was a ball. It nicked the corner.

 

[Bison13]

I am not sure how to cheat the system. Sounds like they covered the loop holes.

there should be no variations horizontally, the only ones would be with regard to a batters true stance and the vertical portion of the zone based on their 'normal' batting stance. Not every hitter hits in a truly upright position though the robots use that value. I have a couple of my former players playing in MLB and other minor leagues, they say from a hitters standpoint, its the only real concern. Think Ricky Hendersons stance and how thats not his true height.

 

[NewEra 2026]

Angela Hernandez