Major League Baseball is experimenting with a new ABS challenge system that grants players the ability to challenge called balls and strikes using computer data. The system has been used in the Minor Leagues for a few seasons and is being tested during Spring Training with the potential for it to be implemented in 2026.
Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer is not a fan of the new ABS system
Toronto Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer had his first run-in with the new system in his first Spring Training start on Tuesday. After getting a pitch call overturned by a batter’s challenge, he initiated a challenge himself the next inning but the call was upheld, leaving Scherzer with a rough day with the new system.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner expressed some displeasure with the new system and is not a fan of a big change possibly coming to the majors.
“I’m a little skeptical on this,” Scherzer told Jayson Stark of The Athletic. “I get what we’re trying to do here, but I think major-league umpires are really good. So what are we actually changing here? We know there are going to be strikes that are changed to balls, and balls that are changed to strikes… So we’re going to basically be even.”
MLB umpires have been under scrutiny in recent years for their poor officiating and lack of empathy. Most notably, umpire Pat Hoberg was recently fired from MLB for violating the league’s gambling rules, an incident that does not help the public perception of umpires across the league.
The ABS system would bring a massive change to the way the game is called
To the umpires’ credit, their job is one of the hardest in professional sports. Along with having to get the balls and strike calls correct in an instant, they deal with the constant pressure from the players, coaches, and fans. The new system is meant to help take some pressure off of the umpires and allow the players to prevent a bad call from being a deciding factor in the game.
It has had success in the Minor Leagues, which is why they want to bring it to the majors. Ultimately, as players adjust to the new system, they will use their challenges more wisely and figure out the best times to use them. Players have had to endure big changes by the league over the years, such as the sticky stuff checks after innings and the implementation of the pitch clock.
If the ABS system proves to be successful in Spring Training, it could become a big part of the game next year.