MLB testing Automatic Ball-Strike System during Spring Training

Author: Zach Oliveri
Published: Updated:

Baseball is a game steeped with tradition that spans decades. As technology gets more advanced, the game has opportunities to adapt. One of those opportunities is the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which is being tried out at just 13 Spring Training ballparks. One of those ballparks is the Lee Health Sports Complex, the Spring Training home of the Minnesota Twins.

“I think it’s probably coming in our game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Be that next season or maybe the season after that who knows. It’s coming and it’s coming soon I believe.”

Umpires are still calling balls and strikes behind the plate. The ABS challenge system uses Hawk Eye technology to monitor the exact location of a pitch relative to the strike zone. That technology can be used to challenge the call behind the plate with each team getting two challenges per game.

Twins centerfielder Harrison Bader said, “the system allows us to keep it really black and white and just focus on balls and strikes.”

“I think it’s fine as long as it’s not the full ABS,” Twins pitcher Bailey Ober said. “I think the challenge system would be enough. Just allowing the human aspect of the game. Keeping baseball baseball and not trying to rewrite too much. I think that’s how it should be.”

Fans are split on the new system.

“Ump is part of the game,” Don Amdahl said. “You can’t take that away I think so I guess I’m against it really. Just stick with the umpires.”

Larry Slinden said, “If it doesn’t slow the game up, then I think I’d be a fan of it because I think these guys are throwing harder and faster all the time. I think it’s hard to keep up.”

Before games began, Baldelli said he wanted his players, especially hitters and catchers, to make the most of this trial run.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of pitchers challenge,” Baldelli said. “If you see a lot of pitchers challenging calls, I think you’re going to miss a lot more calls. There in a much less precise position to be challenging these things. The catchers have the plate literally right in front of them. The hitters are the ones getting the most calls missed more so than the pitchers so they’re going to need to step up and challenge.”

The system won’t be used when the regular season games begin.

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