Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez proving top early prognosticator of ABS Challenge System originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
MLB home-plate umpire Doug Eddings should simply stop and ask Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez what the call should be.
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“Um, Mr. Perez, sir, was that a ball or a strike?”
“That was a strike.”
“OK, thanks …
“STRIKE!”
Things would be so much easier on Eddings.
Three times Friday night, Perez challenged Eddings’ calls at the bottom of the strike zone.
Three times, the veteran got ABS Challenge System officials to overturn the initial decisions.
Is Perez the early king of baseball’s new trendy technology?
Salvador Perez knows ball and strikes
A 15-year veteran, Perez correctly identified three strike calls initiated by Eddings as missed opportunities.
Perez went 3-for-3 after tapping the top of his helmet, signaling a digital judgment.
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“I’ve got a pretty good idea (of the strike zone),” Perez said, as reported by The Kansas City Star.
“Maybe side to side is a little hard. Up and down, I have a pretty good idea. I thought it was a strike and I took my chance.”
Perez’s first replay request came in the fourth inning when Royals starter Cole Ragans released a fourth-inning fastball, which crossed at the bottom of the zone. Eddings called a ball, and it was later proven incorrect. It marked the first challenge system call in Braves history.
In the fifth inning of the Braves’ 6-0 victory at Truist Park, Perez issued challenges against Braves batters Eli White and Mauricio Dubon.
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Descriptions emanating from the Braves’ broadcasters told the story:
“He’s just showing off.”
“Now he’s just getting cocky:”
MLB likely didn’t need to implement the new ABS Challenge System this season.
All the officials had to do on questionable calls was ask Perez.