Overview
- Through the season’s first two weeks, teams have issued 653 automated ball-strike challenges with 351 calls overturned for a 54% success rate, according to new tallies.
- Managers and players report quieter games with fewer arguments, and a viral clip of an umpire urging Aaron Civale to challenge a ball call showed how the tone of player–umpire exchanges is changing.
- The system lets the batter, catcher, or pitcher tap the helmet within two seconds to appeal a call, with teams starting at two challenges that they keep when correct as Hawk-Eye renders a ruling in seconds.
- Clubs are refining tactics as catchers often control when to appeal, pitchers have initiated only 14 challenges so far, late-inning spots draw more reviews, and the Twins set early usage marks with 34 team challenges and a single game featuring 11 total appeals.
- Some umpires say the technology holds them to a near-impossible standard, while MLB executive Michael Hill cites improved ball-strike accuracy at 93.5% so far this year, up from 92.7% over the same span in 2025.