Walks and game time up, pitches in strike zone down through first full month of MLB's robot umpires
Walks have increased by 7.3% and game times have risen by 5 minutes during the first full month of Major League Baseball's implementation of robot umpires. Pitches in the strike zone have dropped to 47.3%, the lowest in recent years, while attendance and batting averages have slightly improved. Managers and executives note adjustments are needed as the league adapts to a more standardized, technology-driven strike zone.
- ▪Walks are up 7.3% compared to the same period last year, averaging 6.98 per game in late April.
- ▪Pitches in the strike zone dropped to 47.3%, down from 50.6% last year, the lowest level since 2019.
- ▪The Automatic Ball/Strike System upheld 53.4% of challenges, with catchers more successful than batters in overturning calls.
- ▪Average game time increased by 5 minutes, and attendance rose 2.8% league-wide.
- ▪MLB Statcast now uses the ABS version of the strike zone, which differs from the rule book definition by measuring ball location at the midpoint of the plate and using percentages of batter height for zone boundaries.
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