Jun 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) argues with home plate umpire Nestor Ceja (33) after Castellanos was called out on strikes by the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
MLB tested out the automated balls and strikes (ABS) challenge system this past Spring Training, and next week, they will test the program on a much larger stage in Atlanta.
Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, MLB has added the ABS challenge system to the 2025 All-Star Game. The system has been tested numerous times across the minor leagues and, more recently, major league Spring Training. This will be its most important appearance yet, especially considering it could potentially be implemented in MLB as soon as next season.
ABS does not completely eliminate the human element of umpires from the game, it merely allows players to challenge their calls if they feel the umpire is incorrect.
The ABS rules will remain the same as they were in Spring Training: each team is given two challenges, and they retain them if the challenge is successful. Only the pitcher, catcher or hitter can challenge the call, and it has to be almost immediately following the call. The dugout or other players are not allowed to help; the player taps his hat or helmet to communicate a challenge to the umpire.
Later this summer, MLB's competition committee will meet to assess ABS and discuss its potential implementation next season. It stands to reason that the system's performance in the All-Star Game will be a heavily discussed topic in that meeting.
This announcement is especially relevant for Phillies fans right now, given that Phil Cuzzi's awful performance behind home plate Monday contributed in a major way to a Phillies loss. Luckily, if Kyle Schwarber disagrees with a call next week during the All-Star Game, he will have the ability to challenge it.
