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Automated balls and strikes are in the major leagues, and, unsurprisingly, a longtime veteran is not pleased.
Major League Baseball is implementing the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system for the first time this spring; it's been tested in the minor leagues since 2021.
There's a fairly decent chance that Max Scherzer, 40, is out of the majors by the time it's implemented full-time (although commissioner Rob Manfred wants it next year). But he got a glimpse of the system in his spring training debut on Tuesday.
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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning of a spring training game at TD Ballpark. (Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images)
One of Scherzer's pitches was challenged by a batter (the batter won), and Scherzer was clearly annoyed by the fiasco — while the system is in its rookie stages, it's taking a little bit longer than the 17-second average it's taken in the minors.
Later on, the new Toronto Blue Jay seemed to sarcastically challenge a pitch of his own — he lost.
"I'm a little skeptical on this. I get what we're trying to do here, but I think major league umpires are really good," Scherzer said after his outing. "They're really good. So what are we actually changing here? We know there are going to be strikes that are changed to balls, and balls that are changed to strikes. ... So we're going to basically be even. So are we actually doing to improve the game? Are the umpires really that bad? I don't think so."
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws a pitch during spring training at Cecil B.
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