The new computerized system is being tested during spring training, leading to a series of challenges from players who don’t know the strike zone quite as well as they think.

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.

This year's MLB spring training could prove more consequential than any in years past as MLB will experiment with ABS, the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, to ensure the home plate umpire gets as many ball and strike calls correct as possible. On Thursday, the league announced how exactly this new challenge system will unfold.