# MLB Using "Robot Umps"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-using-robot-umps/846811>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** baseball-mlb\
**Created:** [January 22, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-using-robot-umps/846811 "2020-01-22T18:56:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-using-robot-umps/846811/61 "2020-02-02T17:23:36Z")

</div>

> [@RickJay](#):
>
> But of course umpires would. They do it right now. Happens in every single game. In fact, they often call strikes on pitches that don’t even come that close, and fail to call strikes when the ball is entirely in the zone.
> 
> No matter how you define the strike zone, pitches will be called strikes that just barely graze a corner of the zone. Think about it for a moment; how could it be otherwise? Of course that HAS to happen if humans call balls and strikes.
> 
> **The difference with machines is not that they will call strikes on pitches that just barely touch the zone. The difference is that they will call it consistently,** and will essentially always be right. Humans will be inconsistent and frequently wrong.

The one problem with that is that before, the inconsistency likely balanced out. With the robot, the strike zone is effectively widened by 3 inches on each side, top and bottom, giving the pitcher a huge advantage. Maybe require the ball be half in the zone as a compromise.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-using-robot-umps/846811/62 "2020-02-02T18:32:14Z")

</div>

> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> The one problem with that is that before, the inconsistency likely balanced out.

But it didn’t. That’s just not the case - the inconsistencies do not balance out at all. Umpires are quite different from each other, have strong biases towards certain pitchers, are fooled by framing, and don’t even call pitches the same way based on the count; on two strike counts their strike zones expand. Young umpires are significantly better than old ones. Within a single game it is not at all uncommon for one team to be significantly favored by inconsistency in ball and strike calls.

As to the idea machines will call a wider zone than humans, there just isn’t any data to support that. Human umps are actually more likely to blow a call by turning a ball into a strike than vice-versa.

It should be noted that the use of technology has improved umpire performance already- accuracy is up from 10-15 years ago because data from Pitch/fx and Statcast has been provided to umps to help them improve. It’s still not great, though.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-using-robot-umps/846811.md?page=3)