How Major League Baseball's new 'robo ump' challenge system works

Announcer:

We have had our first ABS challenge, ABS powered by T-Mobile. And a call that was a strike...

Announcer:

Low sinker up and in.

Announcer:

... has been confirmed.

John Yang:

That was a bit of baseball history being made last night in San Francisco, the first regular season challenge using Major League Baseball's new ABS system. That's Automated Ball-Strike.

In every Major League ballpark now, new camera technology will track the precise location of pitches. Teams can challenge up to two ball or strike calls made by an umpire in an nine-inning game. It's the start of a new era.

So, on this Opening Day, let's bring in Dan Evans, a former general manager at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's also had key roles with four other teams, most recently as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.

So, Dan, help us understand this. Give us the ABCs of ABS here. How does this work? Who can make a challenge and when?

Dan Evans, Former General Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers:

First of all, John, just so we need in our life, another acronym that we have to look up the first time.

For the fans, the key thing is, the game is trying to get it right and working on getting it right as well as possible. What this does is, twice a game, a batter, catcher, or pitcher can ask within two seconds of a pitch for a clarification, is the call overruled or does it stand?

There's going to be real alacrity to this. And I think the key to know for the fans is that a manager, a coach, someone in the ballpark can't really influence the batter, the catcher, or the pitcher to ask for the appeal.

John Yang:

It's only those three.

Don't just take some managers are going to figure out a sign to get one of those three to make a call?

Dan Evans:

I wouldn't be surprised, but I think there will be penalties. What we have already learned, John, is the pitchers and the catchers -- actually, the catchers and the pitchers are better at this than the hitters are.

So there's already a little bit of peeling behind the curtain with a brand-new rule.

John Yang:

You know, all this brings up the question, the age-old question of, what is the strike zone? I think, over the years, a lot of players have said that umpires -- it can vary from umpire to umpire. They have personal strike zones.

What does the ABS system say is the strike zone?

Dan Evans:

Well, you're a fan. You know, John, that there were hundreds of different interpretations at the little league level all the way up. Now they're using a percentile of the player's height for the top and for the bottom of the zone.

I have the numbers nearby because they don't just roll off my tongue, but 55.6 percent of the batter's height and 24.2 percent of the batter's height are used as the top and the bottom of the zone. So, if you crouch, if you get into a exaggerated stance, like a Rose or a Rickey Henderson, it could adversely affect you.

But, in reality, what we have is, every player should be consistently hauled by the ABS system.

John Yang:

Now, this system's been used in spring training for the last two years and in the minor leagues since I think 2022. What have players been saying about it?

Dan Evans:

Every player in the big leagues who's played in the minor leagues has played under this situation in their career. So it's not going to be real new, just like the pitch clock.

The Atlantic League started it in 2019 as an experiment for Major League Baseball. This has been seven or eight years in the works, John. As a result, many of the bugs are out. The players understand it. The fans have been overwhelmingly in favor of it, almost to an 80 percentile rule.

I think what they have done from a Competition Committee down is, they have done a good job tweeting it, making changes that identify the problems that they had. I think the fans will benefit, the game will benefit, but I think the biggest thing we will see is, we will see a comprehensive plan for people to use this system as a strategic move in the first eight innings and then in the ninth inning.

You mentioned the two challenges. I don't think very many people will use their second challenge before a key segment of the late part of the game.

John Yang:

Well, what has experienced taught us, or what do we know from it being used in the minors and in spring training? How often are calls overturned and when do they use -- when is it tended -- tend to be used?

Dan Evans:

Around 50 percent of the calls are overturned. So, what you believe to be a strike is probably a better chance of being a strike if you're the catcher, a lesser chance if you're the pitcher, and a much less chance if you're a hitter.

John, what we have learned is that pitchers and catchers are right about 60 percent of the time. Hitters are right 45 percent of the time. That's a real big difference in decision-making. And I think what you will see is managers put a throttle on some of the players on their teams and ask their pitchers to not be the point person and try to channel their energy into the catcher, let the catcher make the decision.

I think it's going to be a fascinating thing to watch in the -- really the first month of the season as people orient towards it. And I think it's going to be seamless. What we have really learned too is, it doesn't add to the length of the game, simply because they have been doing it long enough. The guys know how to use it.

And the umpires and the people in stadium are also very good at it too.

John Yang:

In the long run, do you see a day coming where this is the way they call balls and strikes, that the home plate umpire will no longer call balls and strikes?

Dan Evans:

No, I sure hope not. And I think all the people that are decision-makers in the game hope not too.

I think this is a happy medium between the way the game's been umpired since the 1800s to a point now where it could be full ABS. I think this is the compromise, and I think it's a good one. Umpires are such a great fabric of the game. They love the game just as much as you do at home.

And I think the important thing for them is, we have found out they're right far more than they're wrong. We saw that in replay. And now we're already seeing it in the ABS. I think what we have here is a happy medium that works for everybody involved.

John Yang:

Former baseball executive Dan Evans, thank you very much.

Dan Evans:

Thanks, John.