Explaining the MLB Pace-of-Play and More Rule Changes for 2026 Season
By Kristopher Knox
Published on March 22, 2026.
The 2026 Major League Baseball season will begin with a game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. The most notable change is the introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS), which allows players to challenge an umpire's subjective ball/strike call with a review based on the computer-measured strike zone. Each team will start with two challenges, but each challenge can only be initiated by a batter, pitcher, or catcher. The ABS challenge will not be permitted following replay reviews or when a position player is pitching, and will only be part of games that take place in non-MLB ballparks due to technological constraints. The shortened pitch clock, implemented in 2024, will remain.
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