Latest ABS data reveals which MLB hitters are wasting challenges
Some hitters are consistently misreading the strike zone, costing their teams valuable challenge opportunities in critical situations.
strike zone
Jeff Passan: MLB umpires can receive real-time strike zone feedback from ABS operators
The ABS challenge system has been one of the best stories in baseball so far this season, and Jeff Passan has been one of the best people to follow on the subject. The ESPN MLB insider has been ahead of this story for a couple of years now, going back to his appearances on The…
MLB's ABS challenge data just proved what hitters have known for years
ABS challenges are exposing something the system wasn't designed to find: umpires call the zone differently depending on where you hit in the lineup.
Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion has one of the worst challenges of the season
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnacion turned in one of the worst ABS challenges of the MLB season so far on Sunday. Encarnacion challenged an 0-1 pitch that was essentially right down the middle against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Steven Matz’s fastball was perfectly in the … The post Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion has one of the worst challenges of the season appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.
Fantasy Baseball 2026: ABS Challenge System – How Strike-Zone Shrinkage Is Rewriting Fantasy Values
The ABS Challenge System is now one-month old in Major League Baseball and it has a message for you: “Honey, I shrunk the strike zone!” One month is not enough to conclude much in fantasy baseball, but we know the strike zone is smaller by about 11 percent on average and the walk rate in baseball ...
Mets’ Brett Baty gets into yelling match with home plate umpire after close call
The Mets’ third baseman was called out on strikes on a pitch that caught the bottom of the strike zone and tossed his bat in frustration as he walked out of the batter’s box.
How Have MLB Umpires Performed In The ABS Era So Far? A Breakdown
Major League Baseball, it's players, and fans wanted the most accurate strike zone in MLB history and they've got it this season with ABS. But, how many calls are overturned? The data might shock you.
How Pirates’ Paul Skenes truly feels about ABS challenge system
One of the biggest changes early on in the 2026 MLB season has been the ability of batters, pitchers, and catchers to use challenges on umpire ball-strike calls at the plate via the ABS challenge system. While some baseball purists have derided the new rule for slowing down the game, others have been more receptive […] The post How Pirates’ Paul Skenes truly feels about ABS challenge system appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Ben Rice costs the Yankees with an ABS blunder
The New York Yankees are quickly becoming a comedy of errors this season. Yankees first baseman Ben Rice cost the team with a blunder during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. In the fourth inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., Rice was called out on strikes by home plater umpire Dan Bellino … The post Ben Rice costs the Yankees with an ABS blunder appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.
Ozzie Albies pulls a disrespectful move on umpire during game
Ozzie Albies is providing the latest entry in automated ball-strike (ABS) system entertainment. The Atlanta Braves second baseman Albies went viral during Thursday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks for the disrespectful move that he pulled. In the top of the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz., Albies took a 3-2 pitch from Dbacks … The post Ozzie Albies pulls a disrespectful move on umpire during game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.
How the New ABS Challenge System Is Already Changing Fantasy Baseball in 2026
Overreaction runs rampant in fantasy baseball in early April. When a player hits 2 HR in a game, he is the next coming of Babe Ruth. A sparsely-known pitcher spins a beautiful outing and he has multiple Cy Young potential. Knowing this, it is never too early to talk about the ABS system in Major ...
We’ve Already Seen One Of The Worst ABS Challenges Ever — While Catchers Are Mastering The System
Early data from the first weekend of the MLB season shows that pitchers and catchers are significantly more successful at winning challenges than hitters.
Giancarlo Stanton Challenge Reveals Massive Flaw In MLB’s New ABS System
Through the first week of the 2026 MLB season, fans are absolutely loving the new ABS challenge system. The automated balls and strikes system has not only given fans a new reason to cheer during games, but it has also exposed some of Major League Baseball’s worst umpires when it comes to calling balls and strikes. Just ask highly […] The post Giancarlo Stanton Challenge Reveals Massive Flaw In MLB’s New ABS System appeared first on BroBible.
Umpire Dan Bellino got a call so wrong that it glitched the ABS system
Dan Bellino had his CB Bucknor moment during Monday’s game. The veteran MLB umpire Bellino was behind the plate on Monday for the Athletics-Atlanta Braves game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz was leading off the game in the top of the first inning and saw a low 0-2 offering … The post Umpire Dan Bellino got a call so wrong that it glitched the ABS system appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.
Royals Catcher Humiliates Ump Over Repeated Missed Calls, But Who's To Blame?
The Age of ABS is upon us, folks, and we've already seen it deployed several times over the first two days of the Major League Baseball season. And, frankly, I'm not sure where I stand yet. On one hand, umpires need to be held accountable for an especially egregious call. I've said that for years now. I believe it in my bones. On the other hand … is it really necessary to overturn pitches that are literally a millimeter off the plate? Eh. That's a tricky one. Technically, the answer is yes. The technology exists to correct these calls, and we either have to be all in, or all the way out. But you also have moments like this in Friday night's Royals-Braves game, where Salvador Perez taught home plate umpire Doug Eddigs a tough lesson about the technical strike zone:Thoughts? First impressions? Eh. I don't know. That's just baseball to me. That's just Doug Eddings creating a strike zone. Clearly, he's not calling the low strike. They're all borderline. For some umps, it's a strike all day. For others, it's not. However, it's a tough look for Eddings, and I'm not sure where to land on this one. Part of me wants to side with the ump, and I HATE siding with umps. But come on. All of those pitches are borderline. Eddings called them all the same way, to be fair. There's an old adage in baseball. "All we ask for is consistency." That's what we want, right? If it's a ball in the first inning, it needs to be a ball all game. Same with a strike, obviously. Just give us the zone, and make it the same zone all night long. Umpires get in trouble when they switch zones every inning. That's when managers and players end up getting ejected, and I don't blame them. But Eddings called every one of those pitches a ball. According to the robots on the scoreboard, he was 0 for 3. But at least he kept his zone, right? Again, it's what we were taught growing up. Any baseball player worth his salt will tell you the same thing. We've all heard the speech from our coach when we're arguing balls and strikes, right?"Quit arguing, it's been a strike all day, swing the bat." It's the same argument I used in the WBC a few weeks back when the Domincan Republic lost on the infamous strike three call. It was low. It was a ball. BUT, it was called a strike down there all night long. It's on the player in that spot to swing the bat, especially with two strikes. I don't fault the umpire for that. I fault the player. I think it's the same here. Sure, Eddings whiffed on all three pitches. He looked goofy because the whole stadium saw it. Perhaps it's on him to adjust to the robots now. For decades, hitters had to adjust to an umpire's strike zone. The tables, clearly, have turned. And I'm still not sure if it's a good thing.