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MLB’s Automated Strike-Zone Challenges Are Reshaping Games

Early results show frequent overturns, increasing scrutiny of umpires.

Overview

  • In the YankeesMarlins game, plate umpire Ron Kulpa had most of his challenged calls overturned before leaving after a foul ball to the mask, with Miami using the system to flip six calls in a 9–7 loss.
  • Atlanta showed how one reversal can swing a game when Ozzie Albies turned a called strike into a ball and the Braves erupted for an eight-run inning against the Diamondbacks.
  • Leaguewide data point to about a 55% overturn rate on challenges, and public tracking highlights umpires such as C.B. Bucknor with far higher-than-average rates of overturned calls.
  • Teams are still sorting out challenge strategy, as Detroit’s catchers are 4-for-4 on defensive reviews while Cleveland has gone 2-for-13, with manager Stephen Vogt calling it a learning curve.
  • The system uses a 12-camera array to judge pitches against a fixed zone and displays rulings on scoreboards within seconds, though a Carnegie Mellon physicist urges a margin-of-error policy on borderline pitches.