Trending Now - Yankees' Caballero Fails in Mlb's Inaugural ABS Challenge Attempt

WHO:

Yankees shortstop José Caballero

Home plate umpire Bill Miller

Giants pitcher Logan Webb

Yankees shortstop José Caballero

Home plate umpire Bill Miller

Giants pitcher Logan Webb

T-Mobile, provider of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System

WHAT:

Caballero became the first player to challenge a pitch using the Automated Ball-Strike System during the regular season.

The challenge was for a strike call on a pitch from Logan Webb, which was upheld.

José Caballero triggered the first Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge in MLB history.

Caballero challenged a strike call on a pitch from Logan Webb, which was upheld.

Each team is allotted two challenges per game and retains them if successful.

WHERE:

Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

WHEN:

The ABS challenge occurred on March 25th, 2026, during the fourth inning of the game.

The ABS challenge occurred on March 25th, 2026, during the fourth inning of the game.

The ABS system has been tested in the Minor Leagues since 2022 and was used in Major League Spring Training in 2025 and 2026.

The ABS system gained approval from the Joint Competition Committee in September 2025.

WHY:

The ABS Challenge System aims to provide a mechanism to correct obvious missed calls while preserving human umpires for the majority of pitches.

The ABS Challenge System aims to provide a mechanism to correct obvious missed calls while preserving human umpires for the majority of pitches.

HOW:

A player can challenge a ball or strike call by tapping their hat or helmet immediately after the pitch, with no input from the dugout.

A player can challenge a ball or strike call by tapping their hat or helmet immediately after the pitch.

The ABS Challenge System tracks the precise location of each pitch relative to the specific batter’s zone, calibrated to their height and measured to the fraction of an inch.

(UPDATED March 26, 2026 15:21 UTC)

On March 25, 2026, during the fourth inning of the game, Yankees shortstop José Caballero became the first player to challenge a pitch using the Automated Ball-Strike System, which aims to correct obvious missed calls while still relying on human umpires for most pitches. The challenge was made against a strike call on a pitch from Giants pitcher Logan Webb, and the call was upheld by home plate umpire Bill Miller. Players can initiate a challenge by tapping their hat or helmet immediately after the pitch, without any input from the dugout.

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(UPDATED March 26, 2026 03:52 UTC)

On March 25, 2026, during the fourth inning of a game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Yankees shortstop José Caballero triggered the first Automated Ball-Strike challenge in Major League Baseball history by contesting a strike call on a pitch from Giants pitcher Logan Webb, which was ultimately upheld. The ABS Challenge System, designed to correct obvious missed calls while still relying on human umpires for most pitches, allows each team two challenges per game, and they retain them if successful. This system, which has been tested in the Minor Leagues since 2022 and received approval from the Joint Competition Committee in September 2025, tracks the precise location of each pitch relative to the batter's zone, calibrated to their height and measured to the fraction of an inch.