Baseball is a game of traditions, and usually slow to change. But as Major League Baseball season begins a fresh season, one big change may be on the horizon. The home plate umpire, the key figure who calls the balls and strikes on the batter, may be on the way out!

While many people fear that robots could one day take their job, in this case it could be true! MLB games officiated by so-called “robot umpires” are now closer to reality than ever before. 

Starting this week, batters stepping up to the plate during spring training games will have the ability to challenge an umpire’s pitch calls and have them immediately reviewed by a computer. A human official will still stand behind the plate calling balls and strikes for the whole game, but the so-called “robot umpire,” powered by a computer vision system called Hawk-Eye, will be tracking the location of every pitch. Players from both teams will each have two opportunities or “challenges” per game to contest the human call with the machine. 

Though this hybrid umpire system won’t make its way to regular season major league games in 2025, player and fan reactions during this crucial trial period could determine whether or not it becomes a regular staple in games. 

The system, according to the MLB, will be in place at roughly 60% of spring training games this year, which means every team will have the opportunity to experiment with it at least once. 

And while the use of these “robot umpires” is mixed among the roster of players and coaches, it does have the support of the fans. A 2022 Morning Consult survey found that 48 percent of self-described baseball fans said they supported the implementation of machines capable of automatically calling balls and strikes, compared to just 32 percent who opposed the idea. 

Time will tell if this system begins for all MLB games, but it all starts with this spring training season. Ready or not, robot umpires are here.