Marlins manager Clayton McCullough praises MLB’s new ABS challenge system after a pivotal spring-training sequence showcased its impact.
This week, the Miami Marlins lost a spring-training game in a walk-off, but manager Clayton McCullough was happy about something bigger than the final score.
According to the Miami Herald's Jordan McPherson, McCullough is strongly in favor of Major League Baseball's new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system after seeing it directly affect Monday's game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
In the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, Marlins pitcher Josh White seemed to get two strikeouts in a row on sliders that just missed the edges. Joshua Baez, an outfielder for the Cardinals, tapped his helmet to protest both calls. The stadium video display revealed the pitches had just missed the zone twice, once by one-tenth of an inch and once by three-tenths of an inch.
Both calls were changed. Baez didn't strike out; instead, he walked, which led to a sacrifice fly that tied the game and gave the Cardinals a 3-2 win.
Instead of getting angry, McCullough saw the event as a live display of how the system works. From his point of view, the occasion was a perfect example of how the league thought the challenge process would work in real-life situations.
The ABS challenge system, which has been tested in the minor leagues for years, will be used in the regular season.
Each club will have two challenges per game. The team keeps the challenge if it wins. If a game goes into extra innings, each team gets one more challenge per inning. Players must quickly tap their helmets or caps to signal, which will start a 15-second animated review on the scoreboard and TV.
The approach keeps the human factor while also providing a quick way to fix things in high-stakes situations, rather than eliminating umpires completely. McCullough likes that balance best, and he has already started using it in strategy talks in the dugout.
Spring training is now a place where players may test their skills and learn when to challenge. McCullough said talks with staff and players are still going on, as everyone gets used to what he sees as a new strategic layer of the game.
Early returns show that the Marlins are adjusting swiftly. Most of the problems this spring have been handled by catchers Agustín Ramírez, Liam Hicks, and Joe Mack, who have had a high success rate. McCullough said that the director of catching, Maxx Garrett, and first-base coach Craig Driver helped the group get ready by giving them simulated exercises that were meant to feel like real games.
According to McPherson's reporting in the Herald, one important change is the personalized striking zone. The plate is still 17 inches wide, but the vertical zone fluctuates depending on the hitter. The top is 53.5 percent of the batter's height, and the bottom is 27 percent.
The ABS system is more than just technology for a rebuilding team looking for small benefits. According to McCullough, it adds another strategic layer, and the Marlins seem determined to grasp it.
ㅤ
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!