The New York Yankees cruised into the 2026 Major League Baseball(MLB) season on March 25 as they beat the San Francisco Giants 7-0 , spoiling the Giants home opener for a special “Opening Night” matchup exclusively on Netflix. On the following day of March 26, 22 more MLB teams will compete in their first regular season games on MLB’s official Opening Day, while the rest of the 30 teams will play their first game on Friday, March 27.
There are a few big headlines surrounding the 2026 MLB season beginning with the regular season debut of the Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS). Anthony Castrovince wrote an article for MLB.com about the new system.
Castrovince wrote, “The ABS Challenge System monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the specific batter’s zone. Players can request a challenge of a ball or strike call they feel the umpire got wrong, and, when they do, a graphic displaying the result is then transmitted over a 5G network from T-Mobile’s Advanced Network Solutions…”
An umpire will still be calling the pitches; however, according to an article written by Yahoo Sports, “Only the batter, catcher and pitcher are allowed to challenge a ball or strike call; protests from the bench or elsewhere on the field are prohibited, and umpires have the ability to deny a challenge if they believe it was aided or influenced by anyone else on field or in the dugout. To challenge a call, the pitcher, catcher or batter must tap his head immediately (in less than two seconds, roughly) to initiate a review”
Besides the Automatic Ball-Strike System, be on the lookout for players like Paul Skenes, the rising Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher who is entering his third season in the MLB; and power hitting right fielder Kyle Tucker, who will be playing his first season with his new team, the back-to-back World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers; and four MLB players are just shy of hitting the 400 career home run mark. These players include: Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Manny Machado, who all need less than 40 home runs to reach that milestone.
The Dodgers, after signing a few key players this offseason, look more stacked than ever before and are pre-season favorites to win the 2026 World Series, which would be their third consecutive title.
Landon Applegate • Mar 31, 2026 at 10:55 am
In this article, I liked how the author mentioned the new Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS) that was added to major league games after testing it in spring training this year. The system represents a significant step forward for hitter discipline and plate awareness. For years, batters have had to deal with the error of an interpreted human umpire’s strike zone, which can change based on the count, the catcher’s framing ability, or the umpire’s personal tendencies. By providing a technological backup, the system ensures that a hitter’s vision is rewarded rather than penalized by a missed call. Furthermore, because the ABS strike zone is digitally calibrated to a hitter’s specific height, it creates a consistent and predictable zone. This allows hitters to remain committed to their approach and lay off borderline pitches with the confidence that they have a mechanism to correct a high stakes error, ultimately making the game more fair.
However, from a pitcher’s perspective, the ABS challenge system takes away their ability by eliminating the marginal strikes earned through deception and framing. For decades, a pitcher’s success was partially predicated on their ability to exploit an umpire’s perceived zone or work with a catcher who could frame balls to look like strikes by shifting their glove. With the introduction of ABS tracking, these efforts are taken away, and any borderline pitch that would have used to have been called a strike can now be overturned by a challenge. This creates harm for pitchers who are forced to attack the middle of the zone more frequently, increasing their chance to give up hits. All in all, the system shifts the competitive balance toward the hitter and away from the pitcher.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the author for writing an article about the start of the 2026 MLB season. Baseball is an amazing sport that creates community and is very significant to people at Millikan High School.
Jacob Ekk • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:14 am
Niren explains how the Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS) is one of the big additions to Major League Baseball. Niren explains how, “players can request a challenge of a ball or strike call they feel the umpire got wrong”. With this, a strike or a ball is not solely decided by the umpire. I believe that this is a great addition to Major League Baseball because there will be more accuracy in the game. Additionally, it is a good way for players to contradict umpires without the fear of being ejected from the game. Teams had a 61.3 percent chance of overturning a call with the Automatic Ball-Strike System. Furthermore, Niren writes how, “the Dodgers, after signing a few key players this offseason, look more stacked than ever before and are pre-season favorites to win the 2026 World Series, which would be their third consecutive title”. I agree with Niren’s statement as their roster is filled with big-name players, with most returning from their second consecutive league title with the Dodgers.
Tyler Carmichael • Mar 31, 2026 at 9:08 am
I recently read this piece while perusing the latest articles published on the Corydon, and this struck me as an intriguing piece. Niren begins with a great introduction about the “Opening Day” structure for the league. Highlighting that the first MLB regular season game had already been played before this article was written. Niren also introduces the new addition of the ABS system, also known as the Automatic Ball-Strike System. He cites an article written on the MLB website that gives greater detail and depth to what this system is and what it can mean for the league. This citation gives the article a boost in terms of credibility and what additional knowledge a reader can gain from it.
Separately, the article boasts a great overview of some of the intriguing stories around the league. I like the fact that Niren talks about more than just an individual team or subject and instead talks about the possibility of 4 well-known players who can break into the historic category of 400+ career home runs. In addition, he also highlights superstars like Paul Skenes and Kyle Tucker who look to produce headlines during the new season. All in all, this is a great article that effectively highlights the most intriguing stories surrounding the new MLB season and can influence the audience to watch a televised game once in a while.
Jack Walsh • Mar 30, 2026 at 12:56 pm
With the new MLB season starting back up again, there are many things to look forward to. The Yankees appeared strong, winning their first series over the Giants, destroying them offensively and with their pitching. However, their top star, Aaron Judge, had some offensive struggles, going 2/13 with 7 strikeouts. If the Yankees are to compete with other top teams in the American League (AL), Judge will need to play a key role. Even in their own division, the Red Sox and Blue Jays look terrifyingly strong offensively and defensively. And in the National League (NL), teams such as the Dodgers, Brewers, and Mets are forces to be reckoned with. The Dodgers especially look strong and have set themselves up perfectly for a run at 3 World Series championships in a row. A really interesting thing this season in the MLB will be the addition of the ABS (automated balls/strikes) system. For hitters like Judge who have had some troubles with strikeouts, the ABS will greatly improve their plate discipline and lower their strikeout rates. All in all, the MLB looks to be exciting this year and is drawing more fans to games than ever before. Growing the game around the world.