Pirates' New Edge: Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System

0:00On April 17th, Paul Schienz has been crushing it for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, owning hitters left and right, but now he's facing MLBs new. Automated Ball Strike Challenge System, or ABS. It lets players dispute umpire calls on balls and strikes using Hawkeye cameras in every stadium that track the ball's path super precisely. Teams get two challenges per game, keeping them if they win and losing them if they're wrong. A pitch counts as a strike if it clips any part of the zone, even by a tiny bit like a tenth of an inch. Schienz digs the system, calling it fair for pitchers and hitters alike, and says the strike zone is the strike zone, no changes needed. Pirates players have mixed results so far, with the team sitting 15th in baseball, at about 56% success overall. On the mound, Ridey Bubba Chandler nailed his challenge against the Cubs on April 12th, while lefty Gregory Soto missed his. Catcher Henry Davis is 5 for 7, around 71%, which is low for catchers but still solid, and Pirates batters rank 6 that.

1:0456% wins. This set up shaking up close calls across the league, giving Pirates an edge in tight spots as they build momentum early, keeping fans hooked on. Every pitch. From around the league, powered by AI, this is MLB News Today. On Cory with the story.