The new ABS challenge system for balls and strikes is one of the biggest stories of the 2026 MLB season. Here’s how it’s working – literally and results-wise.
Major League Baseball is coming up on a quarter of the way into the first season of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System era – and the initial numbers from it are quite telling.
We’ll start with the basics: According to Baseball Savant, there were 2,160 challenges through May 3, and 1,145 of those were successful, either flipping a strike to a ball or a ball to a strike, depending on who’s challenging. That’s an overall challenge success rate of 53%, meaning umpires aren’t as bad as some fans think they are. Another truth that’s emerged: It’s pretty clear one group of players is better at this than others.
“I think it’s kind of gone as we thought it would go,” Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson told Opta Analyst. “We knew the catchers would be very good at it, and they’ve proven that overall.”
The fielders (not Cecil and Prince, but catchers and pitchers) have been successful with 59% of their challenges, opposed to only 46% for batters. That’s not great news for batters. They’re already trying to hit exploding fastballs and ungodly breaking stuff in this world of pitching ninja nastiness, and now this? Is this new rule actually making hitting – already arguably the most difficult assignment in sports: making squared-up contact with a round bat on a round ball that’s moving everywhere – even that much harder?
In an era when strikeouts are up and we’re seeing less contact than ever, is that what baseball wants? An unintended consequence, maybe?
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Think about this: Fielders have gained 181 strikeouts because of a called ball being overturned to a Strike 3, and they’ve eradicated 76 walks (for at least a pitch) by successfully getting a called Ball 4 changed to a strike. The Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies have been especially good at challenging into a strikeout; they’ve done that 14 times each. Conversely, batters have had only 130 successful challenges flipping a Strike 3 call to a ball, and only 64 successes turning a called strike into a Ball 4.
While technically, “fielders” includes both catchers and pitchers, very few pitchers are making challenges via ABS. Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Gregory Soto, in fact, is the only pitcher with more than two challenges this season. He’s having a strong season (1.59 ERA), but he should stop with the challenges: He’s 0 for 3.
Some of the catchers, though, are just showing off at this point. The Detroit Tigers’ Dillon Dingler is 15 for 17 for an MLB-high 88.2% success rate, followed by the Rockies’ Hunter Goodman at 20 for 26 (76.9%). The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith has the most overturned calls (23), followed closely by Agustin Ramirez (22), whom the Miami Marlins have sent back to Triple-A. A whopping 34 catchers have at least 10 successful overturns.
Batters, as a group, haven’t had nearly the same rate of success. Jose Altuve (Houston Astros) and Maikel Garcia (Kansas City Royals) are tied atop the batters success chart, with seven each. Nolan Schaunel (Los Angeles Angels) is just 3 for 11 (27.3%). Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles), James Wood (Washington Nationals), Matt Wallner (Minnesota Twins) and Dane Myers (Cincinnati Reds) are each 1 for 6 (16.7%). The Milwaukee Brewers’ Gary Sanchez – a catcher, no less – has the most challenges of any hitter, and is successful on just 6 of 14 (42.9%). As a catcher, though, he’s 6 for 8 (75.0%).
“It’s good for everybody, because sometimes when the umpires miss a beat, we can challenge that, so we can get a better position to hit or to pitch, either way. I think for both sides it’s good,” Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu told Opta. “Of course, it’s not as good when the pitcher is challenge and we’re hitting, but I think still it’s a good advantage everybody has right now.”
And it’s not just that catchers have been much better with ABS, it’s that they’re challenging more. Fielders have made 1,158 challenges as opposed to 1,002 by batters.
“I’m not talking about our team necessarily, but I think some hitters are a little bit shy yet to challenge pitches,” Wilson, a former MLB catcher, said. “I do think catchers have a really good idea of the strike zone. I don’t think there are many pitches pitchers that are challenging, so I think you’re going to see definitely a higher rate for the catchers than you will for the hitters. I don’t know that it’s making it harder (for hitters). I think guys just need to get a little bit more comfortable as they go, and sort of find that courage to challenge when they think it’s out of the zone.”
When to Tap the Helmet or Hat
Remember the limited number of challenges in a game. From the rules: “Each team starts the game with two challenges. Teams will lose the ability to challenge after they do so incorrectly twice. Teams will start each extra inning with a challenge regardless of whether they have already exhausted their challenges in the first nine innings.”
With only two challenges, there’s a strategy in play. Teams want to empower their hitters to call challenges if they’re confident in the overturn, but they want them to be mindful of situations, too. Abreu, who has made only two challenges, said earlier this season that it’s important for batters not to tap their helmet too quickly in key situations.
“If it’s a high-leverage situation, like two men on or bases loaded, ninth inning, or stuff like that, I think the pressure of the game might speed you up a bit, that’s when you’re gonna make more mistakes,” he said. “I think if batters can control little bit more of that, not being too anxious when we make the decision to challenge.”
Having the Right Results Make ABS Popular
ABS, of course, continues with MLB making rules changes this decade that are popular.
When posing the question about whether ABS is unintentionally making it tougher for hitters, it’s also fair to wonder if the umpires have adjusted, if they’re calling a tighter strike zone in hopes of avoiding the types of overturned calls outside of the zone that appear very obvious after the challenge. Basically, are they tightening up to avoid looking like C.B. Bucknor in his infamous March 28 outing, where he had six calls overturned.
Let’s take a look. According to Opta data, of the 20,407 pitches through April 29, 2025, only 6.69% of pitches outside the strike zone were called strikes. Through April 29, 2026 – with ABS in play – of the 21,898 total pitches, only 5.09% of pitches outside the strike zone were originally called a strike. It’s not necessarily a significant change, but still measurable.
And overall, players and managers are happy with the new system.
“I think it’s definitely the way to go,” Wilson said. “It still kind of maintains what catchers can do behind the plate, and the art of receiving, and at the same time, still has the ability to use the actual strike zone. It’s good combination.”
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As MLB’s New ABS Challenge System Grows, Some Are Getting It Right More Than Others Opta Analyst.
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