Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets lost to the Washington Nationals 3-2 in their spring training matchup on Saturday, but one of the key topics in postgame media wasn’t about the game itself. Rather, it was about MLB‘s new Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) System.
The ABS System tracks balls and strikes so that each team can challenge two of the home plate umpire’s calls per game. If a team successfully challenges a call, it won’t lose that challenge, but it will lose it when it’s unsuccessful. For example, a team will still have two challenges left if it gets its first one right. Only pitchers, hitters, and catchers are allowed to challenge.
Advertisement
Soto opened up about ABS postgame, via SNY.
“For me, I’m just going to play my game. I’m gonna trust my eyes and trust the umpires,” the 27-year-old said. “The only way I would use it would be in a big situation, but I won’t focus on that…”
Several MLB Players Indifferent Toward ABS
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51).Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
(Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Soto isn’t the only MLB player who’s not focused on ABS challenges. Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale admitted on Feb. 13 that he plans to restrain himself, via MLB.com’s Jeff Gold.
Advertisement
“I’m greedy, and I know that,” the former NL Cy Young Award-winner said. “I think they’re all strikes. … I like pitches that are around the corner that might be a little off.”
That’s not only an honest quote from Sale, but it also shows how difficult it is for professional players to rewire their brains. They’ve gone their entire lives without having any power regarding balls and strikes, so suddenly being granted challenges could be an awkward feeling.
Meanwhile, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay admitted on Saturday that his team is not aggressive with challenges, per MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos.
Advertisement
“Our players tend to err on the timid side when it comes to challenging,” Kotsay said. “I’m continuing to encourage the challenges just to get a feel.”
“The first game, we didn’t use our challenge,” he continued. “I have to keep reminding them, ‘Hey, don’t worry about failing here. This is why we’re doing it.’ So that’s been helpful.”
Part of the reason for the timidness could be that it’s early in the process. Players may be more assertive in higher-stakes situations, like a key moment in a divisional matchup that decides playoff seeding.
Advertisement
Regardless, many players around MLB don’t care to utilize ABS yet, and it’s something to watch moving forward.
Related: Mets’ MLB Offseason Decision That Could Change Everything
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.