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Thursday, January 12, 2023

Sources - All AAA parks to use electronic strike zone in ‘23

The challenge system seems workable.

The electronic strike zone will be used in all 30 Class AAA parks in 2023, sources told ESPN, seemingly another significant step toward the implementation of the technology at the big league level in the near future.

The Automatic Balls and Strikes system, commonly referred to as ABS, will be deployed in two different ways. Half of the Class AAA games will be played with all of the calls determined by an electronic strike zone, and the other half will be played with an ABS challenge system similar to that used in professional tennis.

Each team will be allowed three challenges per game, with teams retaining challenges in cases when they are proved correct. MLB’s intention is to use the data and feedback from both systems, over the full slate of games, to inform future choices.

jimfurtado Posted: January 12, 2023 at 09:10 PM | 4 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: umpires

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1. John Northey Posted: January 13, 2023 at 12:14 AM (#6113052)

Good idea to try both methods in AAA. I lean to just saying scree it and use the automated system period, but if challenging calls gets it more accepted then so be it.

2. KronicFatigue Posted: January 13, 2023 at 09:14 AM (#6113063)

Challenging a call in the short period of time between pitches seems difficult. I wonder if it will just be used strategically in terms of game-state vs when the calls are most wrong.

3. BDC

Posted: January 13, 2023 at 10:30 AM (#6113069)

Challenging ball-strike calls sounds a lot like old-fashioned arguing over balls and strikes, which has always been officially taboo, in part because it slows the pace of play or stops it dead.

And as Kronic says, if you save your challenges for the most exciting moments of the game … it's a bit of a paradox. Gibson comes up against Eckersley, so you do want to make sure the balls and strikes are called accurately. OTOH, Gibson's up against Eckersley, just play ball, for #### sake.

I saw a Class A game last year but am pretty sure that ABS was not in use; at least, the umpire was operating normally. This year I hope to see a few AA games, but I guess the system won't be used there at all yet.

4. Tim M Posted: January 13, 2023 at 06:58 PM (#6113134)

And a chill goes down the spine of every catcher out there who makes his living "framing".

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Thursday, January 12, 2023

Sources - All AAA parks to use electronic strike zone in ‘23

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