THE FUTURE OF CATCHING: RECEIVING IN THE ABS ERA
Catching continues to evolve.
Setups have changed. Pitch shapes have changed. Training has changed. And now, at the Major League level, the way balls and strikes are adjudicated has changed too.
Beginning in 2026, Major League Baseball implemented the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System. This isn't a fully automated strike zone. The home plate umpire still calls every pitch, but players now have the ability to challenge select ball-strike decisions and have them reviewed using MLB's tracking technology. Each team begins the game with two challenges, successful challenges are retained, and only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can initiate one.
For catchers, that's an important distinction.
Receiving still matters. But the environment in which receiving matters is changing.
1. THE CHALLENGE SYSTEM IS HERE
For years, the baseball world discussed what an automated strike zone might mean for catching. We don't have to speculate anymore.
MLB chose a middle ground.
The umpire remains behind the plate and continues to call balls and strikes. When the batter, pitcher, or catcher believes a call was incorrect, that player can immediately challenge it. The ABS system then determines the result using a two-dimensional strike zone measured to the individual hitter.
That's significantly different from having a computer call every pitch.
The human strike zone still exists for the overwhelming majority of pitches. Presentation still exists. The relationship between catcher and umpire still exists. And the catcher now has another responsibility: understanding when a pitch is worth challenging.
That's a skill in itself.
Because unsuccessful challenges are lost, knowing the zone isn't simply about determining whether one pitch was technically a strike. Game situation, remaining challenges, count, leverage, and confidence in the call all matter.
The catcher has a unique view of the pitch and is directly involved in every defensive ball-strike decision. It's not surprising that catchers have become central to this part of the game. During MLB's 2025 Spring Training testing, catchers had the highest overturn rate of the three eligible groups at 56%.
Receiving hasn't disappeared.
Another layer has been added to it.
2. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR RECEIVING?
The easy conclusion would be that technology makes receiving less important.
I don't think it's that simple.
The ABS Challenge System can correct certain missed calls, but it doesn't replace the umpire on every pitch. With only a limited number of unsuccessful challenges available, a catcher can't rely on technology to resolve every borderline decision.
That means the ability to catch the baseball cleanly, present pitches effectively, and maintain strikes remains valuable at the Major League level.
What may change is how we define value within receiving.
The goal shouldn't be to manufacture excessive glove movement in an attempt to fool an umpire. Good receiving has always involved much more than that.
Can you get the glove to the baseball on time?
Can you control the pitch?
Can you maintain strikes?
Can you consistently execute your movements around the zone?
Can you adjust when the pitcher misses location?
And now:
Do you know the zone well enough to recognize when the umpire missed one?
That last question is becoming part of the Major League catcher's job.
3. THE COMPLETE CATCHER MATTERS MORE, NOT LESS
Receiving has received enormous attention over the last several years, and rightfully so. We've become much better at measuring its impact.
But catching has never been one skill.
Catchers still have to block. Throw. Lead. Communicate. Prepare. Call pitches. Understand hitters. Manage pitchers. Control the running game. Make decisions under pressure.
The challenge system adds another decision.
A catcher may now have only a couple of seconds to decide whether what he saw and felt was different enough from the umpire's call to justify using one of his team's challenges. MLB's system specifically requires the challenge to come immediately and without assistance from the dugout.
That's baseball IQ.
And I think that's where catcher development continues to head: not toward one skill replacing another, but toward catchers being expected to process more information while remaining excellent at the physical demands of the position.
4. THE AMATEUR GAME IS DIFFERENT
This is an important part of the conversation that can get lost when we talk about the future of catching.
Most catchers aren't playing under Major League conditions.
There is currently no universal automated ball-strike challenge system throughout amateur baseball. Even at the NCAA level, the technology is still evolving: in July 2026, NCAA committees proposed allowing Division I teams to use a challenge system where the technology is available, but that proposal still requires approval before becoming a rule.
For the overwhelming majority of youth and amateur catchers, the umpire's call remains the call.
There is no challenge to get a missed strike back.
That makes receiving development extremely relevant.
A young catcher who can consistently catch the baseball cleanly, maintain strikes, control borderline pitches, and present the ball well is providing real value to his pitcher and team.
And if that catcher's goal is to continue playing at higher levels, developing receiving skill isn't wasted work simply because technology exists at the top of the sport.
You have to succeed at the level you're playing now before you get the opportunity to worry about how the game works at the Major League level.
5. TRAIN THE SKILL, NOT THE LOOK
As receiving has evolved, we've seen catchers use increasingly different setups and glove actions.
One-knee setups. Traditional setups. Larger glove loads. Smaller glove loads. More movement through the baseball. Quieter presentations.
That's a good thing.
The objective isn't for every catcher to look the same. The objective is to develop movements that allow the individual catcher to consistently solve the problems the position presents.
That's how I think receiving training should continue to evolve.
Develop strength.
Develop timing.
Develop glove speed.
Learn to control the baseball.
Understand where your glove is in space.
Become adjustable around the zone.
And understand why you're making the movements you're making.
Those traits matter whether an umpire's call is final or a challenge is available.
6. WHERE RESISTANCE TRAINING FITS
None of the changes to the strike zone alter what the CRT Belt is designed to do.
Resistance isn't there to teach one "correct" receiving mechanic or create a particular presentation.
It's a training constraint.
Adding resistance can challenge glove strength, timing, connection, and movement efficiency. It can exaggerate unnecessary movement and give the catcher additional feedback about what the glove and arm are doing throughout the catch.
Then the catcher has to solve the problem.
Do you need resistance to become a good receiver? No.
Can it be a useful tool for refining receiving skill? Absolutely.
That's the role the CRT Belt was designed to fill.
THE POSITION WILL KEEP CHANGING
We don't know exactly what catching will look like five or ten years from now.
The ABS Challenge System itself will likely continue to influence strategy as players and teams learn how best to use it. MLB has already created public ABS data through Baseball Savant, giving us an entirely new way to evaluate how players challenge calls and understand the zone.
Technology will change. Rules will change. Training will change.
The answer for young catchers isn't to guess which skill won't matter someday.
It's to become a complete catcher today.
Receive the baseball well. Block it. Throw it. Learn the game. Understand the zone. Take care of your pitchers. Become a good decision-maker. And develop movements that you can execute consistently when the game speeds up.
At the Major League level, receiving now exists alongside the ABS Challenge System.
At most amateur levels, there is still no button to push when a strike becomes a ball.
Either way, catching the baseball well isn't going away.
Keep the Game Simple.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Major League Baseball — Everything You Need to Know About the ABS Challenge System
Overview of the ABS Challenge System implemented for the 2026 MLB season, including challenge rules, eligible players, and how calls are reviewed.
MLB: Everything You Need to Know About the ABS Challenge System
Major League Baseball — 5 Things Fans Need to Know About the ABS Challenge System
Additional explanation of the 2026 ABS strike zone and the strategic implications of the challenge system.
MLB: 5 Things Fans Need to Know About ABS
Baseball Savant — ABS Challenge Dashboard
Current MLB challenge data, including challenge attempts, overturn rates, pitch locations, and player/team performance.
Baseball Savant: ABS Challenge Dashboard
Baseball Savant — ABS Challenge Leaderboard
Statcast's detailed challenge metrics for batters, pitchers, catchers, and teams during the 2026 season.
Baseball Savant: ABS Challenge Leaderboard
Baseball Savant — ABS Metrics Documentation
Definitions and methodology for Statcast's new ABS metrics, including challenge opportunities and challenge-related statistics.
Baseball Savant: ABS Metrics Documentation
NCAA — Committees Propose Playing and Technology Rule Changes in Baseball
July 2026 update on the proposed optional use of a ball-strike challenge system in Division I baseball where technology is available. The proposal remains subject to final approval.
NCAA: Proposed Baseball Technology Rule Changes
