Does baseball need even more technology for plays like Alonso's fly ball?

August 21, 2026 - 02:38

The New York Yankees edged out the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Wednesday night, but the real talking point came in the middle of the game. Pete Alonso smashed a deep fly ball down the left field line that looked, for a split second, like it might tie the game. The umpire immediately ruled it foul. The Yankees challenged the call, hoping for a home run. After a lengthy review, the call on the field stood. No home run. The at-bat continued, and the moment passed.

That sequence has reignited a familiar question around baseball: is the current replay system good enough, or does the sport need to lean on even more technology to get these calls right? The issue is not about whether the ball was fair or foul. The issue is that the review process, which relies on camera angles and human interpretation, still leaves room for doubt. Fans watching on TV saw multiple angles, some of which seemed to suggest the ball might have clipped the foul pole. Others showed it clearly missing. The problem is that none of those angles were definitive enough to overturn the original call.

Baseball already uses Statcast for tracking, and the automated strike zone is being tested in the minors. But for boundary calls like this one, the sport still depends on a mix of fixed cameras and judgment. The argument for more technology is simple: if a call can change the outcome of a game, and if the technology exists to get it right, why not use it? The counterargument is just as strong. More tech means more delays, more stoppages, and a game that already struggles with pace. Alonso himself did not complain after the game. He just said the ball was close, and that is the point. Close is not good enough for some people, but for now, it is the rule.