GLENDALE, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs pitcher Cody Poteet was confident that the 95 mph fastball he threw to Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy was a strike. However, the plate umpire, Tony Randazzo, ruled it a ball. Rather than disputing the call, Poteet opted to signal for a review by tapping his cap to indicate he wanted to challenge the decision.
After a brief moment, the video board revealed that Poteet was right; the pitch just grazed the strike zone. “I felt like it was a strong possibility that it was a strike,” Poteet remarked. “Every strike counts.” This moment marked the successful debut of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), which allowed Randazzo to reverse his initial call, changing Muncy’s count from 1-1 to 0-2. Muncy ultimately struck out three pitches later.
Having played in Triple-A last season where the ABS was initially trialed, Poteet found the experience quite familiar, humorously reflecting on his minor but memorable role in the sport’s evolving history. “Having had some exposure to it last year made it feel more routine,” he said. “It’s exciting to be involved in this process.”
Muncy also recognized the importance of the challenge, admitting he thought the pitch was a strike too. “When I saw the pitcher eagerly wanting to challenge the call, I figured they’d overturn it and was like, ‘Oh no, I’m going to be the first one affected by it,’” Muncy said with a smile.
The introduction of ‘robot umpires’ in major league baseball has officially begun, at least in the context of exhibition matches. The Cubs and defending World Series champions, the Dodgers, kicked off the spring training schedule at Camelback Ranch, one of the venues testing the ABS, which could be implemented in regular-season games by 2026.
In the current setup, human umpires continue to call each pitch. Nonetheless, teams are permitted to contest two calls per game, with no additional opportunities during extra innings. If a challenge is successful, the team retains its challenge, mirroring the system used for video reviews that began in 2008 for home runs and expanded in 2014.
Only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can initiate a challenge, and they must do so by tapping their helmet or cap. Dugout support is prohibited, and challenges need to be made within two seconds of the call. A graphical representation of the pitch against the strike zone will be displayed on the scoreboard, and the umpire will announce the updated count afterward. The entire process takes an average of 17 seconds.
This year, the Cubs and Dodgers began their spring training earlier than the remaining 28 teams due to their upcoming regular season matches scheduled in Tokyo on March 18-19. Five games are set for Friday, with the rest of the teams commencing their schedules over the weekend.
The Dodgers fielded several key players in the opener, such as shortstop Mookie Betts, third baseman Max Muncy, and right fielder Teoscar Hernández. Starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound, preparing for the opener in Tokyo, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out two, with 19 of his 27 pitches landing for strikes.
Superstar Shohei Ohtani was absent from the lineup as he continues recovery from offseason surgery on his left shoulder’s partially torn labrum, which he injured during the World Series. He is projected to get some at-bats in the Cactus League and is expected to be ready to hit by the start of the regular season, though his return to pitching might not happen until May.
Currently, the MLB has implemented the ABS in 13 spring training parks supporting 19 teams — 10 located in Arizona and nine in Florida.
