ABS Arrives: Subtler Framing and a Shifting MLB Challenge Game
Automated balls and strikes (ABS) are already reshaping MLB. Catchers must frame pitches more subtly, reducing big glove moves and influencing when to challenge, which is changing how calls are made and challenged. Early data point to quieter dugouts, greater game-situation awareness, and a growing emphasis on strike-zone discipline, with walks and strikeouts climbing. A new, informal stat idea—“Terminators”—highlights catcher-driven strikeouts from challenges, led by Ryan Jeffers, while the piece also surveys other early ABS effects and related player and pitching notes. These are early trends and will evolve as the season progresses.