Manny Machado: ABS Challenge System, 'I'm Done'

0:00On April 25, Major League Baseball wrote out the automated ball strike challenge system for the 2026 season, setting each hitters. Strike Zone, based on their height top at 53.5%, bottom at 27% with the plates width as the sides. San Diego Padre's third baseman, Manny Machado, is calling it quits on challenges after a rough go. He's sitting at two successes out of five tries this season, a 40% head rate, and his latest flop came in a one-nothing win over the Rockies. On Wednesday, that strike three call on a 91 mile per hour change-up from Chase Dollander got confirmed, marking his third straight miss. Machado had said he'd only challenge obvious calls by tapping his helmet, but even this one felt clear to him. Still, he's over it, straight up declaring he's done, letting UPS or the system handle it from here. Stats show. Change-ups are tough batters, overturn, those called, strikes, just 44% of the time.

1:00Better luck with curve balls at 51%, sinkers at 49%, fastballs at 48, and sliders at 46. Inside corner challenges flip 57%, beating outside or edges. Machado's not alone, bets like Chris Sale are sitting out challenges too. It'll be interesting if players sharpen up over time, but for now, Machado's zone is off limits to ABS debates. After MLB news today update, AI powered and always on.