Cincinnati Reds Master ABS for Winning Edge

0:00It's May 1st, I'm Cory with the story, and this is MLB News Today, your AI-powered baseball briefing. Major League Baseball's automated ball strike system, or ABS, has been a game-changer this season, especially for the Cincinnati Reds. They've used it smartly in big moments, like overturning calls that swung games, or even scored fans free pizza after a key challenge. Early in the year, the Reds held back on challenges, saving them for late innings and high-pressure spots to avoid wasting them on low-stakes pitches. That mindset shifted a couple weeks ago during a series in Minnesota. Now, players like Outfield or TJ Friedle say they're challenging early to nudge umpires back into line, showing them when a pitch is an inch off the zone and tightening things up from the start. Cincinnati's catchers have only challenged 21 calls all season, second-fewest in the league, but they're crushing it at a 71 percent. Win rate. Good for second best. At the plate, the team's middle of the pack with 29 challenges, winning 52 percent, which ranks seventh.

1:05Manager Terry Francona admits it is not perfect, but the Reds are dialing in their approach to squeeze every edge, keeping ABS as a sharp tool in. They're toolbox.