San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey has quickly become one of the most effective users of baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System during Spring Training. The early success is less about luck and more about adjustment.

When a batter, pitcher, or catcher taps their helmet or cap to challenge a call, fans immediately watch the scoreboard to see whether the system overturns the umpire’s decision.

According to Perla Paredes of MLB.com, for Bailey, the results have been consistently favorable so far this spring.

“I’ve been doing well … just trying to get a feel for the zone,” Bailey said. “Framing still [matters], especially the 50-50 balls close to the zone, but I think catchers that have a really good feel for the zone will end up having probably the best scores. So that's something I'm trying to figure out.”

The two-time Gold Glove catcher currently ranks among the top challengers in camp, posting a 3.5 net score after winning seven of his nine challenges.

League-wide during Spring Training, teams have overturned calls at about a 51% rate, while Bailey has succeeded on 78 percent of his attempts.

With the ABS challenge system expected to debut in the regular season in 2026, Bailey’s comfort with the technology could hint at how catchers may influence games moving forward.

The system tracks each pitch’s precise location relative to the hitter’s strike zone and has been tested in the Minor Leagues since 2022, as well as during recent major-league spring camps.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said Bailey’s presence behind the plate has already made a noticeable impact.

“He's been an X-factor back there,” Vitello said. “With the ABS, [it becomes] even more important how good of a receiver he is.”

Vitello added that Bailey has helped teammates grow more comfortable using the challenge system as well.

“I'd like to give our other guys credit too,” Vitello said. “A couple times we've been on the other guys about being gun shy … Maybe Bailey's coaching them up a little bit and educating them.”

While Bailey’s defensive work remains the focus, the Giants have also seen encouraging signs offensively.

After putting together a slash line of .222/.277/.325 over 135 games last season, he has started the spring hot, hitting .333 with seven hits and only one strikeout in 21 at-bats following San Francisco’s 5–2 win over the Kansas City Royals.

“A lot of it's just been using the lower half and just having more intent with the swing,” Bailey said. “We've been talking to [hitting coach] Hunter [Mense] a lot about approaches and that's something that we've been doing more this spring than in the past.”

Behind the plate, however, the foundation remains defense and communication. Vitello emphasized that regardless of technological changes, the catcher’s role will always revolve around trust with pitchers.

“We've talked about automated umpiring and things like that, but the bottom line is trust is a key between teammates, and especially between pitcher and catcher,” Vitello said. “That trust is always going to be there.”

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