Robot umpires are coming to the SEC Baseball Tournament

The SEC Baseball Tournament starts today. Are you excited? You should be. You should also be aware of robots. They’re debuting in Hoover this season, just like the robots Major League Baseball debuted this year in the big leagues. No, not literal robots, but the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system for balls and strikes. The ABS will not replace human umpires, but will provide support to the living and breathing umpires behind the plate.

Before the action begins, let’s introduce you to the new experimental technology that the SEC will use this week, so it doesn’t take you by surprise.

Here’s what to know:

• Home plate umpires will still call every pitch, but teams can challenge individual ball and strike calls using the ABS system and its Hawk-Eye technology.
• Each team gets three challenges per game, and successful challenges are retained.
• Only the pitcher, catcher, or batter can challenge a call, and they must do it immediately with a quick tap of their cap, helmet, or mask within a couple of seconds after the pitch.
• Once a challenge is initiated, the review appears on the stadium video board and TV broadcast, showing the pitch location and whether the original call stands or is overturned.
• The ABS ruling is final. No arguing, challenging, or appealing the system’s verdict.
• The strike zone is customized to each hitter based on height measurements collected by the SEC before the tournament.
• In the event of extra innings, teams with no remaining challenges will be given one per inning.

Baseball purists may not love it, nor will umpires, but the SEC is following MLB’s lead. Whatever you think of ABS, it will add to the fan experience, as the video boards in Hoover and the SEC Network broadcasts will show animations of the pitch’s location and the verdict. That’s fun, if it goes Kentucky’s way.

The Wildcats play Vanderbilt in Game 2 of the tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

Learn more about ABS at the SEC.

2026 SEC Baseball Tournament Bracket

Go Cats.