Robot umpires or not? MLB, Texas Rangers legends have mixed opinions on possible future.

Major League Baseball, since 2019, has been testing a “robot umpire” automated ball-strike system that improves call accuracy.

The system has called Triple-A games, and there have also been games played with a challenge system. Commissioner Rob Manfred said it is unlikely the system will be used in 2025, citing technical issues.

Is the use of the “robot umpire” system good for the game? MLB and Texas Rangers legends shared differing opinions during MLB’s All-Star Village fan festival.

Former Texas Ranger Iván “Pudge” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame member and 14 time All-Star, said having umpires around is the way baseball is intended to be played.

“We’ve been playing this game for 100-plus years with umpires behind the plate and umpires on the bases,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also recognized the importance of using technology for making accurate calls.

Texas Rangers legend Rafael Palmeiro, a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, brought up an interesting point: Umpires do well without technology. According to The Washington Post, umpires got 92% of calls right in the 2022 season.

A lot of fans are happy with the A-inus performance. To Rangers legend Mark Teixeira, a three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger, one mistake is too much.

“I understand the human element of the game, but at the same time, there’s a lot at stake,” Teixeira said. “Every pitch literally, there’s a lot at stake. And so why not get it right? If we have the technology ... to call every ball and strike accurately then I think we should do that.”

Although Palmeiro wants accurate calls, he does not want the game to change.

“You’re taking the human part of the game out,” Palmeiro said. “This game is played by human beings and we all make mistakes. I swung at bad pitches when I played.”

Andre Dawson, an eight-time All-Star and Hall of Fame member, said the MLB should be careful with the changes it makes, adding there could be unintentional consequences.

“I don’t think you should tinker with the game too much because you will start taking away the fun aspect of it,” Dawson said. “And I just like to see a lot of things continuing to be in place as it is. You don’t want to tinker so much that you really destroy the other things that are exciting about the game.”

How important is the human aspect of umpiring to the foundation of baseball? It’ll be hard for the MLB to ignore the potential benefits of having a perfectly called game.

Palmeiro sees the instant replay system has a happy medium but doesn’t see the implementation of the ABS as essential.

“We don’t need robots, we don’t need instant replays or any of that,” Palmeiro said. “We survived 150 years without it. I get that the game – they want to get everything right.”

For Palmeiro, the consequences of the ABS would outweigh the improved call accuracy. He brought up, for example, how umpires have different strike zones; navigating and approaching umpires with different zones has been a consistent part of baseball strategy.

“Every umpire has a different strike zone,” Palmeiro said. “Some guys you know going in. Some guys are going to call it wider, some guys are going to call it up and down. So that will be eliminated completely. It’ll just be the little square. And it’s a ball and a strike.”

Pitchers also change approach and strategy based on specific umpires.

Former Texas Ranger Derek Holland does not want the automated ball-strike system in baseball. He added that other situations could create discrepancies, considering balls in the dirt that bounce up to the zone could be called strikes by the system.

Holland said the perfect outcome some imagine with the ABS system may not be attainable.

“There is nothing like an authentic umpire,” Holland said. “I get it – there’s umpires out there that have bad zones and all but that’s part of the game. You make the adjustment to them. You know something I’ve always been taught was you make the adjustment to the umpire just like you make the adjustment to the hitter.”

Rollie Fingers, a Hall of Fame pitcher, seven time All-Star and Cy Young winner, said he understands that umpires are human. Fingers, regardless of the direction MLB takes, does not want the potential challenge system to upstage umpires by pointing out their mistakes.

“I don’t like the square box on the screen, I wish they would get rid of that,” Fingers said. “All that just makes the umpire look bad. So, I’m not for that.”

Some MLB legends may be stuck to the old ways but change is inevitable. It’ll be impossible to make everyone happy as the game evolves, but the MLB will have to find a line between improving call accuracy and protecting the storied traditions of the game.