As the MLB continues to evolve, another major issue has emerged. Every season, there is always outrage on MLB calls that change games, including strike three calls. However, regardless of the possible ABS system, an automated ball-strike system, it seems that MLB players aren’t interested.
Poll From Anonymously MLB Players Doesn’t Show Nicely for the ABS System
In a recent poll, anonymous players mainly voted against the ABS; in fact, 63.4% of players did. Only 17.2% of these players said yes, while 19.4% of players were still undecided on the matter. This clearly indicates that most players aren’t interested in removing the “human element” from the game.
Sure, umpires make mistakes, but many players see it as a part of the game. When only 17.2%, less than 1 out of 5, vote positively for the system, it goes to show that this idea might fail. So many pitchers and catchers frame pitchers so well that many for sure strikes would be overturned. Even one anonymous hitter was baffled by a ball that he himself thought was a strike.
Robot-Umps Take a Massive Aspect of the Game Away
The one big question from me would be: what would catchers be for then? Catchers that have been working for “15 years,” as one player said, would be wasting their time and talent. Framing pitches would be pointless, as many players would constantly challenge many calls. Another thing would be pitch counts going up, ball game lasting longer, and just overall more frustration.
If robo-umps enter the game, only more frustration will result. Even hitters might find it to be more boring than not. Pitchers who have been working for years to frame and throw perfect strikes would be massively affected. One pitcher also mentioned that the strike zone is massively shortened, thus making it much harder to throw a strike and making pitching more dangerous.
Sure, a lot of people might not like the constant mistakes made by the umpires and bad calls. However, it is called being human, and this is idea of eliminating the umpires purpose largely isn’t that smart. This aspect of the game of something that you like and don’t, as if your team gets a call while the other doesn’t, then your opinion might change a little. Really, the reality is that penalties, fouls, bad calls, and other things are always going to get outrage. But the question remains if this issue should be fixed in such an extreme way.
ABS Might Suffer a Big Setback
The problem for the system is that it was expected to enter soon. The MLB tried out the system during spring training, which led to speculation that it would join the MLB as soon as 2026. However, with the recent news that many players dislike the system, this could be a significant setback for the ABS. Such a setback could mean more than just a delay, it could also mean the system just not coming. Unless MLB players are on board with the idea instead of an overwhelming amount of players going against ABS, then there is no reason to debut the system.
As many have mentioned already, the human element of baseball is something that can be frustrating, but is also something that should be respected always. Sure, there is always going to be a call that will ruin a game and possibly even a season. But how much fun will be taken from the game if such an annoying system is introduced? Is the MLB trying to hurt their pitchers more? More challenges equal more pitches, which obviously equals more injury. One recommendation: keep the robots out.
Main Image: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
