Automated systems have arrived, and they’re proving quite entertaining.
Major League Baseball’s newly implemented automated ball-strike (ABS) review mechanism dominated the initial weekend, emerging as the central focus during the season’s opening acts. While ABS had appeared previously in minor league games, spring training, and even the All-Star Game, its current application carries a distinct significance.
With competitive stakes now in play, the past weekend showcased a mix of anticipated and unexpected occurrences, such as a dismissal linked to ABS, enthusiastic applause, ambiguities in regulations, and numerous instances of players gesturing for reviews.
Below are some observations from the initial period of the ABS implementation.
Favorable Public Reaction
Throughout the inaugural series of the season, supporters, especially those present at the venues, appeared to appreciate the new arrangement. This stands as by far the most significant result from the opening weekend. MLB’s declared aim in introducing ABS was to “offer athletes a chance to rectify incorrect judgments during critical junctures in a way that resonates positively with spectators.”
Ensuring the review procedure was unambiguous, prompt, and user-friendly presented the league’s primary, indeed, its greatest hurdle. However, initial feedback is promising. The visual representation of the strike zone, showcased on large screens and during televised coverage, is remarkably clear. Online public opinion has been largely enthusiastic. While the novelty of ABS will eventually diminish, this recent weekend saw both home viewers and stadium attendees excited by its accurate application in crucial situations.
During the sixth inning of Saturday’s Red Sox-Reds match, with two outs and the bases full, umpire C.B. Bucknor called out Cincinnati’s Eugenio Suárez on a low and outside sinker pitch with a 1-2 count. Suárez signaled for a review by tapping his head while Boston pitcher Ryan Watson moved towards the dugout. To the thunderous approval of 38,298 attendees, the decision was swiftly reversed.
The initial crowd reaction was significant, but the atmosphere at Great American Ballpark became absolutely frenzied moments afterward. This was because on the subsequent pitch, a fastball narrowly outside the plate, Bucknor again called Suárez out. Suárez initiated another review. Once more, the judgment was reversed. The ensuing eruption of sound was overwhelming.
Regrettably for the Cincinnati supporters, Suárez subsequently hit a ground ball out on the following delivery.
Initial Automated System-Related Dismissal
Among all weekend games, Sunday’s decisive Orioles-Twins contest saw the highest number of challenges. The two teams jointly initiated 10 ABS reviews, with seven of these decisions ultimately being reversed. However, the last challenge of the afternoon is what will stick in the minds of all who attended Camden Yards.
In the ninth inning, with a full count, a runner on first, and the Twins trailing by two, Orioles closer Ryan Helsley delivered a slider to designated hitter Josh Bell. The umpire declared the pitch a ball, and Bell began walking to first. Helsley, however, immediately signaled for a review by touching his cap towards home plate umpire Chris Segal. Following the review, the decision was reversed, converting a walk into a strikeout and dramatically altering the atmosphere of what promised to be a highly suspenseful ninth inning. Twins manager Derek Shelton emerged from the visiting dugout, vehemently contending that Helsley had been afforded excessive time to request the review. Shelton was promptly expelled from the game.
The official regulations stipulate a two-second window for a player to initiate a challenge, though the ultimate acceptance rests with the umpire’s judgment. Previously that weekend, Braves first baseman Matt Olson’s challenge was rejected by umpire Doug Eddings, who determined Olson had delayed too long. Shelton believed a similar ruling should have applied to Helsley. This did not occur, ultimately aiding Baltimore in securing the series victory.
This entire incident served as an indication that the automated ball-strike system is still in its nascent stages. Officials and athletes are in the process of adapting to its operational patterns, synchronicity, and cadence. Human involvement continues to play a significant role. Over time, certain ambiguities will likely be resolved, but sufficient undefined zones will persist to provoke periodic dismissals. There will consistently be points of contention.
Current ABS Challenge Statistics
Mike Trout — predictably — tops all batters in the initial phase with four challenge requests, three of which were upheld. Young Red Sox player Roman Anthony has three. Numerous other athletes, including prominent figures like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Kyle Schwarber, have two apiece. It is unsurprising that elite performers feel a greater inclination to seek reviews. Organizations are encouraged to afford their premier sluggers every conceivable edge. While certain teams have been guarded regarding their ABS approach, it is reasonable to expect players of Trout’s and Anthony’s caliber to be more frequent in signaling for reviews.
Regarding tactical approaches, merely six pitchers have initiated challenges to date. Predictably, only two of these were successful. During preseason training, several organizations voiced doubts about allowing their pitchers to request reviews. This stems from minor-league statistics indicating that pitchers performed considerably poorer in this regard, partly due to their unfavorable viewing angle and partly due to their propensity for heightened emotional responses. It is anticipated that more teams, such as the Milwaukee Brewers, will begin forbidding their pitchers from challenging.
From the catcher’s position, no player was more engaged than Chicago White Sox receiver Edgar Quero, who initiated seven challenges over 16 innings spent crouching. This is likely not accidental. In his rookie year last season, Quero ranked as the poorest pitch-framer in Major League Baseball. However, his deficiencies in the physical execution of catching a pitch do not imply a lack of understanding of the strike zone. Throughout the weekend, there were several instances where Quero’s suboptimal framing of a pitch within the zone led the umpire to call it a ball. Quero successfully reversed four out of his seven challenges.
Quero offers a fascinating insight into the dynamic relationship between the automated ball-strike system and the art of pitch framing. Catchers who are less skilled at framing might actually gain more advantages from the challenge system than their more proficient counterparts. Could this encourage teams to deploy less effective defenders at the catcher position? Does the technique of making balls appear as strikes diminish in significance now that batters possess the ability to dispute calls?
The future remains to be seen, yet the realm of the strike zone has unequivocally been transformed.
