How Is The ABS Challenge System Working? Catchers Are Crushing, Games Are Slower

[Alexis Farinacci]

Image courtesy of © Allan Henry-Imagn Images

As of April 16th, according to Baseball Reference, 273 total games have been played in the 2026 MLB season, with most teams playing anywhere between 17 and 18 games depending on off days. As of this date, it has become clear that pitchers and catchers have been more successful with the ABS (Auto ball strike) system this year.

Per Baseball Savant, while hitters have won only 47 percent of ABS challenges, the defense has won 60 percent.

League Challenge Rates Using ABS

Across the league, there have been 1,082 challenges: 582 won and 500 lost. The league average is 54 percent of calls won when players challenge a call. The Minnesota Twins (61 challenges), Colorado Rockies (50 challenges), Miami Marlins (49 challenges), New York Yankees (44 challenges), and the Athletics (43 challenges) lead the entire league in number of challenges. Of those challenges, Minnesota and New York have won 57 percent of theirs, the Rockies and Athletics 56 percent, and Miami 55 percent.

However, though those five teams lead the pack in number of challenges, there are five different teams who have been the most successful using the challenge system: The Cincinnati Reds have a challenge win percentage of 71 percent, with the Mets winning 65 percent of their challenges, Padres winning 64 percent, the Royals winning 63 percent, and the Cardinals winning 61 percent alongside the Chicago Cubs (perhaps the only time those two teams are comfortable being mentioned together).

Out of the league-leading Reds, who have the highest win percentage in calls challenge, Sal Stewart leads that pack with three challenges, including two won calls. Tyler Stephenson, Will Benson, and Eugenio Suarez each have two challenges with two wins.

Hitter Challenges Using ABS

Hitters have challenged four percent of pitches this season. Through a total of 497 challenges at the plate, hitters throughout the league have won 232 challenges and lost 265 calls. They have eliminated 70 strikes and gained 35 walks as a result of calls overturned. 

Out of all batters in the league, Jose Caballero and Gary Sanchez lead the challenge in number of challenges with seven each; with Ivan Herrera, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Bell, and Ronald Acuna Jr. following behind with six challenges each. Caballero has won four of his challenges (57 percent), and Herrera has won five of his six (83 percent), showing consistency and his ability to read the ball at the plate.

Outside of that group, Pete Alonso (4-4), Marcell Ozuna (3-3), Nick Kurtz (3-3), and Teoscar Hernandez (3-3) lead the league in being perfect (with at least three challenges this season). 

The ABS system shows that batters who see the ball well and are disciplined at the plate are most successful in getting calls overturned. It is also forcing batters to be smarter and more efficient with their time at the plate.

Catcher Challenges Using ABS

Catchers have challenged 2.1 percent of pitches thrown. Through 585 challenges, the catching group has won 350 calls and lost 235 calls. They have gained 98 strikeouts from challenges this year and lost 45 walks.

Will Smith leads the catchers in the number of challenges, having challenged 21 calls by umpires. He has won 13 and lost eight, for a 62 percent overturn rate. Following behind Smith, Ryan Jeffers (20 challenges: 12 wins, eight losses, 60 percent overturn rate), Edgar Quero (20 challenges: seven won, 13 lost, 35% overturn rate), Salvador Perez (18 challenges: 13 won, five lost, 72 percent overturn rate), and William Contreras (18 challenges, 11 wins, seven losses, 61 percent overturn rate) are the catchers with the next highest challenge number.

In terms of win percentage, Mitch Garver (4-4), Adrian Del Castillo (3-3), Adley Rutschman (2-2), PJ Higgins (2-2), Jeferson Quero (2-2), and Jake Rogers (2-2) lead the league (at least two challenges) in success rate of challenges behind the plate with perfect 100 percent rates.

While batters are becoming more disciplined because of the ABS, pitchers are also focusing on being disciplined in throwing the ball in the strike zone, focusing on command over throwing as hard as they can, and catchers are improving in their ability to frame pitches in order to get better calls from umpires.

ABS Is Slowing Games Down Again

Looking deeper at ABS, according to David Brandtap of The Associated Press, after MLB aimed to make games shorter by implementing the pitch clock, the ABS system has once again slowed games down, slightly contradicting MLB’s attempt to speed them up.

Through the first two and a half weeks of games, games are now ending closer to 2:42, opposed to 2:38 in 2025 and 2:36 in 2024. Though not a big difference, it is a sign that the ABS system is slowing games back down.

However, though the system has been added, as Brandtap noted, games were up to over three hours (3:10) in 2021, so since implementing the pitch clock, and even with the newest addition of ABS, games are still quicker than they were five years ago.

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[darinc617]

I don't care about the length of a game. All I want is that the calls are correct. I honestly wouldn't mind a fully automated strike zone. It would be the end of the stupid pitch framing by catchers trying to fool the umpire.

The home plate umpire can just stand there and say whether it's a ball or strike and he can still do his other duties.