Average MLB game time rises with robot umpires and the ABS challenge system

The Associated Press reports that the average nine-inning game this season lasted two hours and 42 minutes — 3 minutes and 43 seconds more than last year, when the ABS system and ball-strike challenges were not in use. According to AP data, MLB said about 61 seconds of that increase was attributable to the ABS system, although the average time remains lower than in the 2022 season, when games averaged three hours and four minutes.

According to Bleacher Report, the use of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) this season has been met with positive reviews, but it has also added a little time to games.

MLB also introduced the pitch clock after the 2022 season, an intervention that has helped reduce game times and kept most games under three hours. Although this season marked a slight increase in average time, it remains below the level recorded in 2022.

In summary, Bleacher Report notes that while ABS has brought technical improvements and won support, its implementation has also contributed a few extra seconds to the average game time.