Editor’s Note: Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal

Another beautiful baseball season is underway, and we’re already seeing incredible offensive performances, dazzling pitching outings, and mind-blowing catches. And, as always, we’ve also seen monumental pitching blowups, memorable golden sombreros, and more than a few offensive oopsies. Our game is finally back, and there’s so much more to come.

But the real story of the 2026 baseball season is the introduction of the new automated ball-strike system (ABS). And to no one’s surprise, opinions on the ABS system are wide-ranging. Some hail it as the start of a new era in baseball, in which we depend less on human eyes. Some believe it’s the beginning of the end of the game we love, and the end of humans alone making live decisions about the pitches they see. And others still fall on the massive ground in between, believing that it could be an improvement, but dangers lie ahead.

In truth, none of us know what the ABS system means for the future of the game. Changes in baseball are like the ripples from a rock dropped in the water. The effects are felt immediately, but they also keep radiating over time. ABS is more than just a tool to effectively discern balls and strikes. It’s a new strategic element that has the capacity to literally change the game.

We can’t predict the future, but we can analyze the past—and hope that affects what’s to come. That’s why we’re here, why the Baseball Research Journal exists, and why SABR exists.

As always, the BRJ contains multitudes. You can read about how new research into Negro League games has changed baseball history in seven states. You can learn about how more extreme extra-innings rules could affect the speed of games that last beyond the ninth inning. Babe Ruth’s strange 1929 season is examined in detail. Sam Payne, the early 1900s Phillies groundskeeper who had farm animals grazing on the field to manage the grass at the Baker Bowl, is featured. (At least today’s penny-pinching owners aren’t forcing groundskeepers to keep a petting zoo in the outfield.)

And as the discussion about ABS continues to rage, everyone (including MLB) may want to pay attention to a particular article in this issue about the effectiveness of umpires as they age. Anyone who’s ever been mad at C.B. Bucknor or Joe West for an obvious blown call will want to read that from beginning to end.

I wish a fun and pleasant baseball season for everyone, no matter where your team ends up. Twenty-nine clubs will be unhappy come October, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to enjoy ourselves along the way. That’s what baseball is all about.

— Liz Roscher
Editor, SABR Baseball Research Journal

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• Read online: Articles from the Spring 2026 Baseball Research Journal are available online at SABR.org