MLB makes changes amongst new AI policies
Since the development of AI, society’s foundation of authenticity has shifted. Culture and tradition have been altered for years now, but it is not just the entertainment industry or the workforce that is faced with this threat; AI is also being integrated into sports. Baseball is widely known as a polyglot sport, a term used for sports that reach audiences and respect from cultures and people internationally. ESPN released a statement last month acknowledging a new shift in professional baseball, reaffirming the transformation society has taken on with open artificial intelligence. The MLB approved of a robot umpire for the 2026 season as part of a challenge system, as well as the integration of AI coaches. A robot mimicking a typical umpire would essentially monitor the game and make the calls, just how you would see a human umpire interact with players, just without the inherent interaction.
Softball player Nikki Kennedy, senior, has played for twelve years and regularly watches baseball, favoring the Dodgers. “I think that if [AI] gets used correctly and is accurate, it could be a good thing,” Kennedy said. “AI will keep growing bigger and bigger as time goes on in every sport like referees in soccer and football in the future. […] I think AI would be a great idea when it comes to baseball stats, the stadiums and things like that, but I do think umpires that are robots are pushing it a little bit,” Kennedy said.
There is a lot of uncertainty among the NPHS softball and baseball players whenever their sport is being impacted. Jack Laubacher, senior, joined the Newbury Park baseball team this year, holding just as many mixed feelings. Laubacher feels that tradition is an enormous factor when evaluating this shift in sports, especially in baseball. “I think it could be good that an umpire couldn’t ruin a game, but I think it [also] ruins the tradition of the game.”
Laubacher also pointed out that AI could serve useful roles other than determining calls. “It could serve some sort of help in scouting and getting information on college and high school players for pro teams when they’re drafting their players,” Laubacher said. There is a lot of controversy in the extent AI should be utilized. But, the resourcefulness it can offer to statistics and the technical behind the scenes of a sport can be game-changing.
However, a junior who has played baseball for twelve years, Cole Munyon, is firmly against the idea of AI replacing umpires. “I am aware of it, and I don’t agree with it,” Munyon said. “I don’t agree with it because the game’s been played without AI for a long time, and I don’t see an issue with the way it’s being played now.”
Munyon believes AI could make the sport feel artificial. “I think it’ll make it too robotic, and I don’t think it’ll benefit sports in a very good way,” Munyon said. He is open to some integration, but not a full transformation. “I think you can keep trying to integrate a little bit like the minor leagues, and see how that works,” Munyon said. “But overall, I think AI should not be incorporated in baseball.”
As the MLB experiments with new technology, players like Kennedy, Laubacher and Munyon demonstrate that the constant battle between progress and tradition is evident among the younger generation. Whether AI ends up taking even more responsibility in the Major Leagues or gets banned completely, people will have mixed feelings about any new changes. “I would definitely still watch baseball if it did have robot umpires, but I think it would take away a lot of the entertainment because some of the most interesting parts are the umpires’ bad calls,” Kennedy said. “In my opinion, it makes the game as intense and interesting as it is.”
