Cardinals Lagged Near Bottom of MLB in ABS Hitter, Catcher Challenges

MLB’s dramatic shift to the Automated Ball Strike system resulted in 10,557 challenges during the 2026 regular season, 54 percent of which were overturned by the challengers.

The St. Louis Cardinals, however, were nowhere as successful with their challenges – either as hitters or with their catchers behind the plate.

The Cardinals ranked No. 26 in terms of successful challenges (60) by their hitters. Part of the reason is that they also ranked No. 26 in their number of hitter challenges (134). However, the Cardinals were far closer to 30th (Braves, 50) in successful hitter challenges than they were first (Yankees, Mets, 96).

Cardinals’ hitters were tied for 28th in MLB in strikeouts subtracted by challenges (15), and they were also tied for 28th in walks added by challenges (five).

On the other side of the ball, Cardinals’ catchers ranked 29th in MLB in the number of ball/strike challenges issued (151) and they were 30th in ball-strike challenges won by their catchers (81). Cardinals’ catchers did add 29 strikeouts with their challenges – good for 12th in MLB. Also, they eliminated 15 walks with challenges – the fourth-best total in MLB.

Cincinnati rookie Sal Stewart had MLB’s most successful challenges as a hitter (28) and the second most unsuccessful challenges (23). Philadelphia superstar Bryce Harper was second in successful challenges (21) and first in the most incorrect challenges (26).

Ivan Herrera, who the Cardinals prioritized as someone they wanted in the lineup every day, proved to be the team’s top challenger – both when he was at the plate and during the 56 games that he caught.

Herrera was 12 for 23 in challenges as a hitter and he got three strikeouts eliminated and three walks added with his helmet taps. Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn each had seven successful challenges as hitters, but Winn did it in 10 tries, while Walker had 20 challenge attempts. Alec Burleson and JJ Wetherholt were both 5 for 9 in challenge attempts, with Burleson erasing a strikeout and Wetherholt adding a walk.

Behind the plate, Herrera went 33 of 53 on his catcher challenges, but his successful number of challenges ranked just 44th in MLB. Herrera did add 12 strikeouts for his pitchers, while taking away seven walks.

Pedro Pages was 30 of 51, while rookies Leo Bernal (13 of 25) and Jimmy Crooks (4 of 17) were slightly less successful in their challenges. Pages earned 10 strikeouts with his challenges, while Bernal added five strikeouts and Crooks had four.

Brewers’ catcher Williams Contreras had the most successful catcher challenges with 105 – 12 more than the next closest catcher. Phillies veteran JT Realmuto had the highest percentage of correct calls among everyday catchers, nailing 81 percent of his challenges.

In terms of all MLB challenges in 2026, catchers were much more successful in winning overturns with challenges than hitters were. Catchers successfully hit on 58 percent of their challenges. Backstops had 3,358 challenges successfully overturned, and they failed on 2,434 percent of their objections to ball calls.

MLB hitters saw just a 49 percent success rate with their challenges. Hitters issued 4,765 challenges, but they got strike calls overturned just 2,328 times.