MLB Umpires to Conduct Replay Review Announcements via Microphone

MLB games are going to sound a bit different this season.

The league announced on Friday that starting in the 2022 season, the umpires will “conduct in-park announcements during the Replay Review process.”

So, similar to other sports such as football or basketball, baseball umpires will now repeat to the audience what decision they’ve agreed on regarding played under review. They will have a microphone for this purpose.

In the press release, MLB said that the umpires have undergone training in Arizona and Florida this spring in order to use the technology starting this season. Opening Day is Thursday, and it is expected that this upgrade will be ready to go for the first games of the season.

This major change will allow audience members at the games and at home watching via broadcast to better understand the calls made by umpires during critical moments.