Players Seem to Like Baseball’s ABS Challenge System, but Umpires? Not so Much

Nearly three weeks into the season, more than 900 challenges have been requested, and more than half have succeeded.

A view of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System on the jumbotron as the Cleveland Guardians challenge a call during a game against the Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta on April 11, 2026. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

MLB’s introduction of the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System, early on this season, appears to be popular with players.

After being implemented during the past two MLB spring training schedules, and years of experiment in the minor leagues, the ABS is up and running. So far, albeit in a limited run (first three weeks of the 2026 season), pitchers, catchers, and batters, the players who can tap their hat or helmet to inform the home plate umpire they wish to challenge his call, are taking full advantage of the game’s newest technology. According to the Front Office Sports edition of The Memo on Monday, 932 ABS challenges have been requested this season. 54 percent of the challenges have succeeded in getting a call overturned.