Major League Baseball is set to introduce the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) this season. And with it, there will be some changes to both the in-stadium experience and the at-home broadcast.
According to a recent report by Jeff Agrest in the Chicago Sun-Times, MLB broadcasts will no longer indicate whether a pitch is a ball or a strike within the on-screen strike zone box, as the league is exercising an abundance of caution to ensure teams cannot exploit the broadcast to their advantage when challenging pitches. Previously, broadcasts would indicate strikes as a filled-in circle within the strike-zone box, and balls would use a hollow circle. Now, all circles will look the same.
The change will not be that noticeable for viewers. Pitches will still be displayed in the strike-zone box, but they won’t show the definitive “right” calls via the filled-in or hollowed-out circles.
It is, however, a bit odd that MLB is deeming this change necessary. Pitchers or batters who want to challenge a ball-strike call using ABS need to do so immediately after the call by tapping their head. Then, ABS immediately kicks in with an animation of the pitch, which will be shown both in the stadium and on viewers’ screens, and determines if the pitch is a ball or a strike. The procedure shouldn’t allow any communication with the pitcher or batter to determine whether to initiate a challenge.
The ABS Challenge System is in place for spring training, and the Cubs took advantage of it in the first inning vs the Dodgers. ⚾️ #MLB https://t.co/qBUAJtm4Gn pic.twitter.com/btV0ZuY5rE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 20, 2025
It’s understandable the league would be so cautious, given that the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal is still fresh in people’s minds.
As part of MLB’s effort to avoid any possible exploitation of ABS, the league is banning the strike-zone box from being shown on any in-stadium game feeds, except on monitors in the broadcast booth. In other words, no strike-zone box on the jumbotron, and no strike-zone box when you’re in line to get a hot dog.
Agrest reports that production crews will likely try to integrate ABS challenges into the normal course of the game’s broadcast, similar to the introduction of the pitch clock three years ago. “The challenge system might just blend into the game as quietly as the pitch clock has,” he reports, noting that most broadcast teams will likely opt to keep the number of challenges a team has remaining off of the scorebug, instead displaying that information only when relevant.
In big moments, however, a broadcast could split the screen in thirds: one box each for the pitcher and batter, with the third showing the ABS animation.
Regardless of how production crews address challenges, the idea seems to be that they shouldn’t be the centerpiece of the broadcast.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.