Reinhold Matay - Imagn Images
For years, fans have wanted an automatic strike zone in Major League Baseball. They’re simply sick and tired of missed calls influencing at bats and games.
Unfortunately for those in favor, the Automatic Ball Strike System (ABS) is not coming to Major League Baseball this year in the regular season. But, it is in Spring Training, and a snafu in a game between the Mets and the Yankees shows a potential pitfall of a system.
The Mets and the Yankees played on Monday in Port St. Lucie, the Spring Training home of the Mets, and the two rivals played to a 6-6 tie. As for most Spring Training games this spring, the ABS system, which allows batters and pitchers to challenge ball/strike calls for a quick review.
But, on Monday, it didn’t work. Take a look.
Technical difficulties with the ABS system 🤖 pic.twitter.com/Nmr7vue7xt
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 24, 2025
Imagine the challenge system not working in the NFL during a big game. People would be completely outraged. I don’t think it’s ever happened in a big game, thankfully.
But, this shows that it could happen in a big spot in a Major League game. Imagine a low strike being called on Aaron Judge or Juan Soto in a crucial at-bat in a playoff game, and the system breaking down. Fans would go nuts.
Before the MLB implements it for real games, they need to make sure that the reliability of technology is perfect.