robot umpires

Major League Baseball is seeing longer game times since introducing its automated ball-strike system, with robot umpires now part of the league's officiating setup. The finding, reported by Sports Business Journal, suggests the technology may be affecting the pace of play, a metric MLB has worked hard to improve in recent seasons.

Average Major League Baseball game times are rising again, and ESPN reports that the introduction of the automated ball-strike system, known as robot umpires, is one contributing factor. The challenge system, in which players request reviews of calls, adds stoppages to games. The trend comes despite the pitch clock that had previously shortened games to record lows, prompting renewed debate about pace of play.

MLB.com has highlighted the biggest storylines around the automated ball-strike system in the Wild Card Series, the opening round of the baseball postseason. The piece spotlines how the ABS challenge system is being used in playoff games for the first time and which calls or controversies stood out. Fans are watching closely to see how robot umpires affect high-stakes October baseball.