Automatic Umpires: A Home Run or Strikeout for MLB Fans?

Overall, roughly two in five MLB viewers say they support the idea of using automated umpires, including 13% of respondents who ‘strongly’ support the idea and 27% who ‘somewhat’ support it. On the opposing side, 27% ‘somewhat’ oppose and 33% strongly oppose the use of technology in umpiring baseball games. The data also show that the percentage who support the innovation has increased by three percentage points (from 37%) since March of 2024.

Regionality may also shape desire for traditional auto-umpire-free baseball. MLB fans who reside in the midwest, where some of the league’s oldest teams are located, are by far the most likely to oppose automated umpires (67%). This outpaces all other American regions by at least eight percentage points. Residents of the Northeast, meanwhile are most likely to support using automated tech for umpiring (49%), compared to 41% of those living in the south and midwest.

Parental status also appears to have a role to play. In what is a proxy for age, viewers who are grandparents are most likely to oppose using automated umps (60%). Meanwhile Nearly half of parents (48%) support switching to automated umpires, compared to 40% of those who are neither parents or grandparents.

When it comes to how gender may influence feelings toward automated umps, the data is clear: male viewers are far more likely to support the technology than women (49% to 29% respectively).

As baseball continues to evolve, the debate over automatic umpires underscores the broader conversation about innovation and automation in sports. Major League Baseball, should it commit to ever using automation for umpiring, will need to balance the desires among its younger audience with a preference for tradition among older viewers.