A Detroit pitcher, and American League Cy Young Award winner, shared his perspective on the automated ball-strike system. He admitted to viewing every pitch as a strike until the umpire's call.
Major League Baseball has been testing the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 and will implement it in an All-Star Game for the first time this summer. Each team will have two challenges per game, retaining the challenge if successful.
A pitcher from Pittsburgh, starting his second consecutive All-Star Game for the National League, noted that pitchers often perceive every pitch as a strike. He added that pitchers shouldn't be the ones challenging the calls.
MLB defines the automated strike zone, setting the top at 53.5% of a batter's height and the bottom at 27%. This is based on the midpoint of the plate. This differs from the traditional rule book zone.
A three-time Cy Young Award winner from the Dodgers expressed his approval of the system, having experienced it during rehab starts. He suggested that the strike zone might need to be adjusted based on the batter's size.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred anticipates the system will be considered by the sport’s competition committee.
During spring training tests, teams won 52.2% of their challenges. Batters were successful in exactly 50% of their challenges, while the defense succeeded 54% of the time. Catchers were more successful than pitchers in challenging calls.
Hall of Famer Joe Torre, an honorary AL coach, supports the system. He previously worked for MLB and oversaw expanded video review in 2014. He believes that the technology available makes it impossible to ignore the system.
Torre, now 84, recalled how his Yankees teams benefited from blown calls in the postseason, including one related to the strike zone.
In the 1998 World Series opener, a pitch to Tino Martinez that appeared to be a strike was called a ball. Martinez then hit a grand slam on the next pitch.
When asked if he was happy there was no robot umpire then, Torre grinned and said, "Possibly." He then mentioned Derek Jeter's home run in the 1996 AL Championship Series opener, where a fan interfered with the play.
5 Comments
Muchacho
It's already being used in the minors. Let's get the best product on the field.
Africa
If Torre supports it, that means it's smart. The game will inevitably be better.
Bermudez
If an umpire gets a call wrong on any given game, there's high stakes. Having them focus on their work without being affected by a bad call is crucial.
Muchacha
It eliminates the arguments about whether the pitch was good or bad.
Comandante
The best players will still perform, and now they'll get calls that reflect their skills accurately.