The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing for the introduction of the automated ball-strike challenge system in Major League Baseball, with manager Dave Roberts outlining his approach to the new technology. The system, which will be used in the upcoming season, allows teams to challenge at least two ball-strike calls per game.
The Dodgers are getting ready for the new automated ball-strike challenge system, which will be introduced in the upcoming MLB season. Manager Dave Roberts has stated that he feels comfortable with the catchers doing the challenges versus the pitchers. However, he also noted that if a pitcher decides to challenge a call, “he’d better be right.”
The automated ball-strike challenge system, also known as ABS, has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022. The system relies on Hawk-Eye ball tracking cameras within ballparks to determine whether a pitch was in the strike zone. Each team will have the opportunity to challenge at least two ball-strike calls per game.
How the System Works
The ABS system will give each team the opportunity to challenge at least two ball-strike calls per game. The challenges can only be initiated by a hitter, catcher, or pitcher, who must tap their head within two seconds of each pitch to challenge a call. If a team loses two challenges, its players won’t be able to dispute any further calls in a game, unless there are extra innings, in which case teams will be awarded another challenge opportunity.
Veteran third baseman Max Muncy noted that, in early versions of ABS that he experienced while on minor-league rehab assignments in recent years, the top of the zone seemed atypically high. However, MLB has made some tweaks to the system, including making the top and bottom of the ABS zone slightly tighter and measuring players’ heights for ABS purposes, so each batter will have a zone proportional to their size.
The Dodgers will start testing the new system in their Cactus League opener on Saturday, providing a new subplot to follow over the course of the season. Players will undoubtedly have their challenge success rate tracked, and their ability to judge the right time in a game to challenge calls will also be scrutinized, introducing a new strategic element to every at-bat.
For more information on the Dodgers and the new ball-strike challenge system, visit the NY Post Sports page. The official MLB website also provides updates and information on the upcoming season.
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