SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Bring on the robots, tap your helmet if you disagree, and tell your analytic department it better prepare for a whole new wave of research.
A New Challenge to Authority
The automated ball/strike system is here, and teams are already strategizing how to leverage this significant shift in how the game is called.
- Teams now have the ability to challenge ball and strike calls, with visual confirmation displayed on the scoreboard.
- Each team receives two challenges per nine innings, with the opportunity to earn unlimited challenges by being correct.
- Only the pitcher, hitter, and catcher are permitted to initiate a challenge within two seconds of a pitch.
- Managers are grappling with who will be entrusted with making these crucial challenge decisions.
If a pitcher, catcher, or batter disagrees with a ball or strike call, they now have the right to challenge the umpire, and everyone in the stands will be able to see who was right with a graphic on full display on the scoreboard. This marks the first time the automated ball/strike system has been implemented in Major League Baseball.
Teams get two challenges per nine innings, and as long as they are proven correct, they can challenge as many times as they wish. If a team is wrong twice, they are out of challenges unless the game goes into extra innings, in which case each team will be provided one challenge per extra inning.
The challenge must be issued within two seconds of the pitch being thrown, signaled by tapping your helmet. Only the pitcher, hitter, and catcher are permitted to challenge.
Managerial Strategies Emerge
So, the question for every manager now is who will be permitted to challenge, at what stage of the game, and under which circumstances. The implementation of the ABS is already sparking debate among baseball’s leadership.
“All I know is that we won’t let our pitchers challenge,” Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said. “They think everything is a strike.” Francona laughed, but it’s certainly a sentiment shared by several managers in interviews Thursday, with most saying they would leave that up to their catchers and hitters.
However, not every hitter will be granted that authority. “We’re going to have a lot of conversations about that,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think there’s going to be a strategy that comes with it. What that looks like, I don’t think I know right now, but we’re going to encourage conversations as far as leverage, when you use it, when not to, who should, who shouldn’t.”
Roberts added, “I don’t want to say because they’ve already been sensitive when I brought it up. So, I’m not going to name-call right now. I’m not going to say any names but I don’t think that there’s a self-evaluation on who knows the strike zone, who doesn’t, who gets emotional, and understanding everything. I’m in favor of it.”
Francona stated: “We don’t have a strategy in place because we want to kind of see how it plays out. I’ve already talked to some of our player development people to ask them how they did it, and then we’ll formulate a strategy and try to do it better than other teams like everything else. But I think it’s going to be OK.”
MLB research indicates that there were four challenges per game at the Triple-A level last season, with approximately a 50% success rate. The ninth inning saw the most challenges, accounting for 3.5% of all challenges.
Strategic Considerations
“You want to have one late in the game, just in case,” Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “The top of the first inning on a 0-0 fastball, I don’t want to challenge and lose. We’ll most likely rely on catchers first. Pitchers at times get a little emotional. Hitters can be that way sometimes, too. I think we’re going to rely on the catchers. But I want to have one in pocket, when I can, when it’s in a critical part of the game.”
Teams will be experimenting with these strategies throughout spring training, with plans constantly being modified on when it should be best utilized. “We’re going to do some experimentation over the course of the spring,” said Los Angeles GM Perry Minasian. “We’ve had some staff members that have been more familiar with it than others in the minor leagues, so we’re just going to see how it evolves and how it goes. I’m sure every team has had conversations about it and undergone studies. We’re going to get as many different opinions and viewpoints as we can get. We’ll go through all of the types of things through the course of spring training. I’m not one for a steadfast rule who can use it and who can’t, but I think there will be a certain component of earning the right to do it, who’s capable of doing it and who’s not. And I’m sure there will be adjustments made throughout the course of the year. What we may do in April may be different in May, different in June, different in July. It’s going to be one of the unique things about this season.”
The ABS is expected to add about one minute per game, according to MLB’s research, with each challenge averaging 13.8 seconds. The strike zone is also expected to slightly shrink, according to Joe Martinez, MLB’s vice president of on-field strategy. Each player will be measured by height this spring, with strike zones starting at 53.5% of a batter’s height at the top and 27% of a batter’s height for the bottom of the zone.
There will be some glitches at times. There were 291 pitches that were untracked out of the 88,534 pitches last spring, according to MLB’s research. And if the computer system malfunctions, the umpires will again have the ultimate authority.
In instances where a team requests instant replay on the field simultaneously with a challenge, the umpires will determine the instant replay result first, then assess the challenge, exercising discretion on plays that could be impacted by the challenge.
The challenge system will not be in effect when a position player is pitching in a game.
MLB also announced that base coaches must remain in their coaching boxes until a pitch is delivered, aiming to eliminate sign stealing. Additionally, the obstruction rule has been tweaked so that a runner who initiates contact with a fielder while attempting to draw an obstruction call will now be called out.
Play ball, and keep those computers churning.
