Former Detroit Tigers Slugger Weighs In on ABS Challenge System in Spring Training
Technological advancements change all industries, and Major League Baseball is no exception.
During Spring Training MLB will test the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) in a little over half of the games played, and the Detroit Tigers will be right in the thick of this experiment.
If this spring's test is successful, commissioner Rob Manfred has said the ABS could be used as soon as the 2026 regular season.
Officials miss calls, often in impactful moments, in every sport that exists.
It makes sense to back up human umpires with this kind of technology once it's ready to be used.
But how do Major League players and coaches feel about this kind of technological evolution?
Former Tigers first baseman Sean Casey was a three-time All Star with a 13-year career in the Big Leagues. During a recent episode of his "Mayor's Office" podcast, he was asked about his take on the ABS.
"I love it dude," he said bluntly.
Casey has seen the system first hand while catching an Independent League game in Montana.
The system adds 17 seconds to a game, on average, so it's not going to slow things down.
Casey added, "Its really cool. The fact that they are, this is a big deal. This is a really really big deal that they are doing this in Major League Baseball Spring Training because that means it's coming to the Big Leagues. You get to this point, and they've been testing it since 2019 in the Atlantic League. They have enough data now, just like the other rule changes that this works."
The current iteration of the ABS gives each team two challenges.
Pitchers, catchers and hitters can challenge a call, no one else.
The challenge must be made immediately after a pitch with no assistance from the bench or other players.
To initiate a challenge, the player must tap their cap or helmet to alert the umpire.
The current iteration of the ABS does not replace human umpires, it's more of a limited failsafe that only impacts a maximum of four total pitches per game. Umpires are no doubt uneasy about this advancement, as it could threaten their job security long term.
Casey is glad that the human element remains in umpiring it, saying, "those guys are the best in the world."
He understands that a massive business like MLB didn't spend over half a decade developing this technology to not use it.
Casey was a .302 lifetime hitter who has seen this system in action and he is enthusiastic about it.
That should be enough to keep an open mind as it's tested during Spring Training.
Recommended Articles
Ryan Reynolds has worked in sports media since 2019, where he’s primarily covered the NFL. He got his start writing for Evan Silva and Adam Levitan’s Establish the Run where Ryan became an authority on NFL awards markets. Ryan recently served as an Associate Director and content headliner for former NFL executives Joe Banner and Mike Tannenbaum at The 33rd Team. Ryan has also made multiple guest appearances on Fantasy Sports Radio on SiriusXM and VSiN. Outside of sports Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating with honors from the University of Minnesota. He now has nearly a decade’s worth of experience in management. You can find Ryan on X @RyanReynoldsNFL or email him at RyanReynoldsNFL@gmail.com.