Ohtani's Historic ABS Challenge on First Pitch

0:00It's April 9th. This is MLB News Today, your AI-powered source for everything, MLB. Shohei Otani made history in Toronto, with the first automated ball strike challenge on a starting pitcher's very first pitch of the game. In the Dodgers 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays, Otani fired a sinker to George Springer that home plate Ump, Dan Bellino, called a ball. Catcher Will Smith tapped his head to challenge it right away, and the system confirmed the call, showing the pitch 1.9 inches outside the zone. That moment kicked off the ABS challenger in a big way, happening on the game's opening toss. Otani touched his cap after the pitch, signaling to Smith, but both agreed there was no mix-up. Smith figured it might have nicked his zone with a high target, while Otani laughed it off, saying he knew it was a ball. Fans and players buzzed about the instant drama, highlighting how the new T-Mobile-powered system is changing calls from the jump. Otani bounced back strong, falling behind one ball, but getting Springer on a single, then

1:02erasing him on the bases, and escaping the first inning. Scorlis, after a hit, to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Smith got a solid track record, winning nine of his 13 challenges this season, ranking top nine among catchers. Otani's only tried once as a hitter and lost, so he mostly lets Smith lead on pitcher-side challenges, trusting the stats for better odds. As ABS rolls out wider, these quick reviews keep UMP sharp and pitchers locked in, setting up even tighter battles down the stretch.