Getty A batter, catcher, and home plate umpire during a regular-season MLB game, where the strike zone is central to every pitch. The automated ball-strike challenge system is not officially part of Major League Baseball games yet. But the MLB ABS system strategy is already taking shape across the league. Not in rulebook form. In behavior. Clubs spent spring training testing the ABS challenge system ahead of its planned 2026 debut, and what’s emerged isn’t just feedback on technology. It’s a