By Anietie anii-bassey
A new era in Major League Baseball is beginning this season as the league introduces its long-tested Automated Ball-Strike System, a technology designed to review disputed ball and strike calls and bring greater precision to one of baseball’s most debated aspects: the strike zone.
The system, widely known by its abbreviation ABS, has been tested for years throughout the minor leagues. Now it is being implemented during regular-season games in the majors, marking one of the most significant rule and technology changes the sport has seen in decades.
For towering hitters such as Bryce Eldridge, the change could have a particularly notable impact. The rookie slugger with the San Francisco Giants recently learned just how large his personal strike zone will be under the system.
Measured during spring training at slightly over 6 feet 7 inches tall, Eldridge joked that the system confirmed he might possess the largest strike zone in baseball.
“They told me I’m the tallest position player they’ve measured,” Eldridge said during camp. “So I guess that means I’ve got the biggest zone and the biggest ABS.”
The strike zone in baseball is determined in part by a batter’s height, with its top set at approximately 53.5 percent of the player’s height and the bottom at about 27 percent. That formula means taller players must contend with significantly larger zones than shorter hitters.
For years, the upper and lower edges of those zones have been among the most difficult calls for human umpires to judge consistently, particularly for extremely tall players whose strike zones stretch farther than average.
The new ABS system is designed to reduce those inconsistencies by allowing teams to challenge questionable calls and have them reviewed through automated tracking technology.
Under the new rules, each team will be allowed two challenges per game. If a challenge is successful and the call is overturned, the team keeps the challenge. If the challenge fails, the team loses it.
Should a game extend beyond nine innings, teams that have used their challenges will receive one additional opportunity per extra inning.
Unlike video replay reviews initiated by coaches in the dugout, ABS challenges must come directly from the field. Only the batter, pitcher or catcher involved in the play can initiate a challenge. The signal is simple: a quick tap on the helmet or cap to indicate that the player wants the call reviewed.
Managers, coaches and teammates in the dugout are not permitted to influence the decision.
For veteran stars like Aaron Judge, the system represents both a potential advantage and a strategic tool.
Judge, who stands 6-foot-7 and captured his third American League Most Valuable Player award last season with the New York Yankees, said he respects the difficulty of an umpire’s job and does not intend to challenge calls casually.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for umpires,” Judge said. “It’s not an easy job back there behind the plate. I try not to show anyone up or make a scene. But if there’s a call that’s really out there, maybe that’s when you use it.”
Judge suggested that one teammate in particular might benefit greatly from the technology: Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton, who stands 6-foot-5, has long dealt with a strike zone that umpires sometimes interpret differently from game to game.
According to Judge, the challenge system could change the dynamic for players like Stanton who must constantly adjust to varying interpretations of the strike zone.
“His whole career he’s kind of dealt with that,” Judge said. “Now things might be a little different.”
The change also presents new challenges for catchers, whose framing skills — subtly positioning the glove to make borderline pitches appear like strikes — have traditionally influenced umpire decisions.
Carson Kelly of the Chicago Cubs said catchers will need to develop an even deeper awareness of individual strike zones now that technology can instantly verify a call.
“With someone like Aaron Judge, his zone is higher because he’s taller,” Kelly explained. “A pitch that might look like a strike at the knees for most hitters could actually be low for him. Catchers are going to have to be really aware of who’s at the plate.”
Several other towering players around the league will also see their unique strike zones scrutinized more closely under the automated system. Among them are Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who stands 6-foot-7, and James Wood of the Washington Nationals, another imposing presence at 6-foot-6.
For Eldridge, who is only 21 years old, the system is already familiar territory. During his time in the minor leagues, he had the opportunity to use the automated challenge system in several games.
One moment in particular convinced him of how dramatically the technology could influence the outcome of a contest.
He recalled a late-game situation when his team trailed by two runs in the ninth inning. Eldridge was called out on strikes looking at what he believed was a ball. Instead of walking back to the dugout, he signaled for a challenge.
The automated system quickly determined the pitch had indeed missed the strike zone, reversing the call.
Given another chance at the plate, Eldridge said he responded with a game-changing swing.
“The next pitch I hit a home run that tied the game,” he said. “That’s when you realize how much this can change things.”
Supporters of the technology argue that it can reduce frustration among players and fans by correcting obvious mistakes while still allowing human umpires to remain central to the game.
Critics, however, worry that introducing automated reviews could alter baseball’s rhythm and remove some of the traditional human element from officiating.
For now, the system is designed as a hybrid approach rather than a full replacement of umpires. Human officials will still call balls and strikes during games, but the automated tracking system will be available to verify contested pitches.
As the season begins, players, coaches and fans across Major League Baseball will be watching closely to see how often the challenges are used and how much influence the technology ultimately has on the sport’s most fundamental calls. ⚾
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