>I have no idea how this works now that they have robots calling balls and strikes They don't yet have robots calling the balls and strikes. In spring trainin

>I have no idea how this works now that they have robots calling balls and strikes They don't yet have robots calling the balls and strikes. In spring training this year they tested out a system to notify the umpires of the robotic balls and strike calls, but the umpire had the ability to overrule the automated system. That isn't used in the general season yet although many expect it is only a matter of time. Currently the umpires are graded on a regular basis compared to their performance versus a computerized system which has resulted in calls improving consistently over the last decade plus of baseball. However you are certainly right that this approach can compound in a lot of interesting ways including an ump giving the benefit of the doubt. There is a perhaps apocryphal of a catcher complaining about a call that Williams received only for the ump to respond "If Mr. Williams didn’t swing at it, it wasn’t a strike."[1] [1] - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ted-williams/ https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ted-williams/