The Machines Calling Balls and Strikes - Baseball Joins the Tech Takeover

Baseball fans tuning into spring training games may have noticed another new wrinkle in a sport that's experienced a host of changes in recent years. Batters, pitchers and catchers can challenge a home plate umpire's ball or strike call. Powered by Hawk-Eye ball-tracking technology, the automated ball-strike system replays the pitch trajectory to determine whether the umpire's call was correct. To minimize disruptions, Major League Baseball permits each team a maximum of two failed challenges per game but allows unlimited challenges as long as they're successful. For now, the technology will be limited to the spring exhibition games. But it could be implemented in the regular season as soon as 2026. MLB's automated ball-strike technology could be used in big league games as soon as 2026. Count future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer among the skeptics. "We're humans," the Toronto Blue Jays hurler said after a spring training game in which he challenged two calls and lost both to the rob ... Read full article.