Korean baseball to introduce robot umpires and pitch clocks

Starting in the year 2024, ball and strike calls in South Korean professional baseball games will be made by "robots." Additionally, large scoreboards will be installed in baseball stadiums like in the Major League Baseball (MLB) of the United States.

On Thursday, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that it had decided to introduce the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) and pitch clocks starting from the 2024 season during their board meeting on Wednesday. The KBO plans to implement ABS and pitch clocks from next year's exhibition games.

Since 2020, the KBO has been testing ABS in its Futures League (second division), and as a result of four years of refinement, ball and strike calls have become more precise and consistent. While the introduction of pitch clocks has been confirmed, the duration of the pitcher's delivery remains undecided. "We conducted a comprehensive study of pitchers' average pitching intervals, analyzing detailed metrics such as average mound visits and the point at which batters are ready for the pitch,” a KBO official stated. “Based on this data, we have outlined several options and are considering which approach would be most suitable for our league."


leper@donga.com