PHILADELPHIA — The automated ball-strike challenge system is coming to Major League Baseball next regular season, as announced on Tuesday, and the reaction within the Phillies clubhouse was mixed.
Manager Rob Thomson said he loved it when the ABS challenge system was tested out during spring training and is looking forward to its full-time use. Veteran pitcher Walker Buehler ripped ABS earlier this month after making a start at Triple-A, where the system is already used, calling it “inaccurate” amid a series of critiques.
Some other players, like Otto Kemp, Max Kepler and Tanner Banks, seemed to see both the pros and cons of ABS.