Marketplace Tech MLB brings automated ball-strike tech to the Big Leagues
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Mar 30, 2026 Nola Agha, sports management professor at the University of San Francisco and expert on sports governance, breaks down MLB’s new Automated Ball-Strike system. She explains how camera tracking and Hawkeye define a digital strike zone. She discusses fairness, umpire roles, technical limits like 3D tracking, and how data might reshape officiating and fan expectations.
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Digital Strike Zone Calibrated To Player Height
- Major League Baseball uses Hawkeye cameras to create a digital strike zone tied to player height.
- Testing found the top of the zone is 53.5% of a player's height and the bottom is 27% of a player's height, giving precise, standardized measurements.
Fan Expectations Make ABS Inevitable
- Fans expect computerized tracking across sports, making ABS a near-inevitable step in a digital viewing era.
- Agha notes viewers are accustomed to on-screen tracking in golf, tennis, and the NFL and comfortable with precise motion data in daily life.
Use Technology To Preserve Fairness Not Replace It
- Prioritize fairness and legitimacy in officiating to maintain trust in sport outcomes.
- Agha emphasizes video replay systems give objective calls that strengthen fan and player belief in game results.