PHILADELPHIA — Max Kepler got his first taste of the automated ball-strike system last April in the first inning of his first minor-league rehab appearance as he worked his way back from a knee issue. The outfielder suited up for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints and faced phenom Paul Skenes, who later came up for the Pittsburgh Pirates and won National League Rookie of the Year.
“Obviously, he was filthy,” Kepler remembered.
With a full ABS system in use — meaning all balls and strikes were determined automatically instead of called by an umpire — for that International League game, Kepler struck out looking in his first at-bat against Skenes.