A study from the University of Michigan examined how automated ball-and-strike calls affected player outcomes in South Korea’s KBO. Researchers led by Jimin Song compared the 2023 season, when umpires called balls and strikes by eye, with the 2024 season, after the league introduced the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System. ABS uses cameras and pitch-tracking technology and sends the decision to the home plate umpire.
After ABS, high-status hitters performed worse on measures tied to strike-zone judgments. Compared with lower-status batters, famous hitters walked less, struck out more and reached base less often. The researchers report that, over 100 at bats, a famous batter had nearly three more strikeouts and nearly two fewer walks than a lesser-known hitter, while broader hitting measures were less affected.
The same pattern did not appear among high-status pitchers. Song suggests pitchers may not have had enough chances to show a measurable decline or that pitcher performance is more variable. The study links the findings to status bias and argues automated evaluation can reduce favoritism in other settings.
Difficult words
- automated — Controlled by machines, not by human action.
- umpire — Person who enforces rules and calls during game.umpires, home plate umpire
- strikeout — When a batter is out after three strikes.strikeouts
- pitch-tracking — Technology that follows a thrown ball's path.
- high-status — Well-known or important people within a group.
- favoritism — Unfair support for some people over others.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think using automated systems like ABS would reduce favoritism in other areas? Why or why not?
- How might famous hitters feel or react if they walk less and strike out more after automated calls?
- Can you name other places (work, school, sports) where automated evaluation might change how people are treated? Explain.
Related articles
Ecuador teams build tech to fight election disinformation
A revived Hacks Hackers chapter in Ecuador held a February conference and a hackathon to tackle electoral disinformation. Three winning teams — Goddard, VeritasAI and PillMind — received prizes, mentoring and support to develop prototypes.
