Baseball is coming, and the Minnesota Twins are just weeks away from embarking upon Fort Myers for Spring Training. Last season the Grapefruit League tested out the ABS (automated balls and strikes) system for the first time. In 2026 it will make its major league debut.
Minor league players have experienced the ABS system for years now. There certainly will be a learning curve for established veterans. Derek Shelton will have to decide how he wants the challenges used. It does sound like he already has an idea though.
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Derek Shelton locking down Twins pitchers
When the Minnesota Twins are in action at Target Field this year, fans will get a look at the ABS challenge system for the first time. Pitchers, hitters, and catchers are all eligible to challenge umpire calls, but that doesn’t mean Derek Shelton will allow everyone to participate.
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“My early thought — I don’t know if I should say this — I don’t think the pitchers should ever challenge. Pitchers think everything is a strike.”
Talking with the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale for his latest Extra Innings newsletter, Shelton says the quiet part out loud. Nightengale brought data to the discussion as well.
When the automated strike zone challenge system was tested during spring training last year, MLB reported the overturn rate was 52.2%. Catchers had a 56% success rate on their challenges, and pitchers had a 41% success rate. Hitters were successful in exactly half their challenges.
Bobby Nightengale – Star Tribune
The reality is that pitchers are emotionally tied to the outcome of each individual offering. Catchers have understandably had the best eye, and they are the only individual better positioned than an umpire to make a call.
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Having watched hitters challenge pitches over the past couple of years in St. Paul, it has also been impressive to see their accuracy. It’s incredible how well professionals know their individual strike zones. It’s also consistently apparent how small the margin of error for umpires is.
As the Minnesota Twins season goes on, it’s likely that Shelton may soften or change his stance for position groups, individuals, or in-game scenarios. This new wrinkle will certainly change the game.
MN Twins could generate an advantage
Just how quickly teams adapt to the new rules will create competitive advantages as well. Situational circumstances, and end game results are something that Shelton and Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo both opined on.
“I just don’t want somebody up there randomly in the bottom of the second inning wasting our last challenge and saying that’s the end of it.”
“I don’t know if anybody has an idea. I guarantee you’re going to see a lot of copycat. You’re going to see every organization watching other organizations and how they attack it. I do think in the first month, month and a half, teams that figure it out are definitely going to have an advantage.”
The ABS challenge system won’t take away catcher framing. That will influence what umpires initially call, and that data will be weighed when discussing pregame opportunities to challenge.
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For a team operating on the fringes like the Twins, hopefully they can be at the forefront of the advantages sooner rather than later.
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