Dodgers: MLB Fans React to Radical Ball/Strike Challenge System in Arizona Fall League

Two ballparks in the Arizona Fall League are allowing challenges of balls and strikes, and baseball fans react to seeing it in action for the first time recently.

It happened two weeks ago, but video is just starting to go viral. Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez, batting for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, takes a 3-1 pitch just below his knees, only to have the umpire call it strike two.

Dominguez immediately looks frustrated, but then he remembers he's playing in a ballpark that has the technology for a challenge system. So he taps the top of his helmet. The umpire turns around and looks up to the press box, mimicking the head tap, and the scoreboard flashes up a message that the pitch is being challenged. Twelve seconds later, the scoreboard shows the visualization of the ball crossing the plate just below the strike zone, and Dominguez takes his base.

Thoughts on this ball/strike challnge? https://t.co/iPTbjeQDVw

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 20, 2022

Dodgers Nation asked Dodger fans what they think of the system. Most fans seemed in favor of some system of getting more balls and strikes correct. Some even had elaborate rules in mind for adding an extra ball or strike as a punishment if a challenge is unsuccessful.

Here are the current rules of the system, according to MLB.com's David Adler:

On a challenge, the ABS system, powered by the same Hawk-Eye technology used for Statcast in the Major Leagues, determines whether the pitch is a ball or strike. Only the batter, pitcher or catcher can challenge a ball or strike call. Each team gets three challenges per game, with successful challenges retained for future use in that game. In testing to date, the success rate of challenges has been approximately 45 percent.

You can also see the center-field camera view of the Dominguez play at the link above.

The counterpoint to the challenge system is that, if the technology exists to get calls correct, the league should just use the technology to get every call correct. That comes down to the divide between people who value the "human element" over all else and the people who get plenty of human element from the players and don't need it creeping into enforcement of the rules. (Count me firmly in the latter camp.)

While the challenge system would be a "good first step," it might be enough of a step that the league wouldn't be motivated to take the second step. The old saying goes, "Never let perfect be the enemy of good," but in this case, good would be the enemy of perfect. And unlike most cases in life, perfection is actually achievable when it comes to balls and strikes, and we should settle for nothing less.