Walker Buehler has made it clear: he’s no fan of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System.
While the technology hasn’t been officially adopted in MLB, growing speculation about its potential rollout next season has sparked heated debate across the league. Pitchers, in particular, have weighed in with strong opinions, and Buehler didn’t mince words.
Walker Buehler #31 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park on September 12, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Royals 8-2.
Walker Buehler #31 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park on September 12, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Royals 8-2.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The current Philadelphia Phillies pitcher criticized the system for what he sees as unresolved technical flaws, arguing that its inconsistencies could undermine the integrity of the game.
“I think it’s inaccurate. I think most of the stadiums, it’s not even actually on the plate. I think it shifts certain directions and certain ballparks …,” Buehler said in a recent interview posted to X by On Pattison (@OnPattison).
“I think the ABS system in general is a very good idea. I don’t think we have any idea where to put it on the plate. I don’t think we have any idea how to function it correctly in terms of the angles of ballparks,” he added.
Even more interesting, the two-time World Series winner defended the “human element” that is part of baseball. Note that it is precisely the errors of judgment, in other words, those of humans, that the ABS System seeks to minimize.
“I think the human element is a huge part of this game,” he said in the same interview posted to X by On Pattison (@OnPattison). “I think starting pitchers that have pitched for a long time deserve certain parts of the plate that other guys don’t get.”
“When I got to the big leagues, I didn’t get every part of the zone that other guys did, and I think that’s part of our game and should be.”
The ABS System has been tested in minor league baseball since 2019. It was tested in several stadiums during spring training this season, and it is said to be officially implemented next season.
This system, which uses the Hawk-Eye technology that has been so successful in other sports such as tennis, does not seek to replace umpires, but rather to introduce the possibility of challenging the count. Batter, pitcher, and catcher will have the ability to request a review of a particular pitch, with the possibility of having the umpire’s call overturned.
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