Yankees News: MLB Makes Huge All-Star Game Announcement

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is starting in the 2025 All-Star Game, with fellow Yankees Max Fried serving as an option for starting pitcher and Jazz Chisholm Jr. as a reserve infielder. While none of them are unfamiliar with an All-Star game, they will be facing something new: the automated balls and strikes (ABS) system.

According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the MLB ABS system to at the upcoming All-Star game. Human umpires will still call every pitch, but each team will have two challenges, which can be called by pitchers, catchers and hitters. Players make challenges by tapping their helmets, and challenges must be issued shortly after a call is made. If a challenge is successful, the team retains it.

Rogers shared that the technology will be implemented in the same way the system is used in spring training and the minor leagues.

"As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it," he wrote. "ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire."

Popularity for the automated system has been growing with fans for some time. Players have reported wanting to retain the ability to challenge the system, instead of letting it make calls entirely autonomously.

"Major league officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a 'positive' one," Rogers wrote. "Sixty nine percent said they'd like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity towards it."

The league could implement the ABS system at games in the majors as early as next season, but have yet to make a decision on whether or not they will do so.

Judge, Fried and Chisholm will be available for the American League — with Judge set to start in the outfield — during the All-Star game next week in Atlanta.

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