RoboUmp Hits the Big Leagues
Apr 14, 2026 · 32 min
One study from 2018 found that Major League Baseball umpires blow about 14 calls every game. That’s 34,000 bad calls every year. And it makes a difference. A blown strike call can decide a win or a loss, a championship or six months at home, wondering what could have been. And while umpires are about 97% accurate in calling balls and strikes, Major League Baseball has been considering something drastic. Something to take us up to 100% accuracy. They have a plan to replace human umpires with robots. Now, with an update!
Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Listen — make it stick
0:00 / 31:39Moments
Sign in to comment on this exact moment.
Sign in to joinLoading the timeline…
Recall Sets
No Recall Sets here yet — be the first to anchor this episode's sharpest moments.
Enrichment
No enrichment published yet — links, notes, and corrections are still being prepared (and pass human review before they land here). Add the first yourself.
Sign in to add a link, note, or media →Episode discussion
Members in the knowOpening the room…