Is MLB Getting Closer To Adding Robot Umpires? Listen Up

Even with the NFL Conference Championships taking place, SportsGrid host Donnie Seymour of The Early Line wants you to listen up about the latest change that could be on its way to Major League Baseball.

On Jan. 20, the league announced that robot umpires would be used in Triple-A for the upcoming 2022 season. This means that balls and strikes will now be automated based on the agreed-upon strike zone. Seymour’s on board with the idea as it removes much of the subjectivity that’s plagued baseball since its inception.

Seymour ponders, “Why should we have a deviating strike zone from umpire to umpire, from crew to crew, and city to city?”. Considering that the technology is already available for the league to standardize the game, it’s more than a fair question. He adds, “This is going to help everybody…(Umpires) don’t have to worry about: Did I call a bad game? Or is the (MLB) Umpire’s Association going to call me up? Or is a team going to be yelling at me repeatedly in the dugout?”

There are nothing but positives to gain from the use of robot umpires, and Seymour hopes it’s not too long before they’re implemented at the major league level.

Get more of Donnie’s hot takes every weekday morning in Listen Up on The Early Line, only on SportsGrid.

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