SI

Mariners' J.P. Crawford Loses the Closest Ball-Strike Challenge Yet

The game of inches ... or millimeters.

Ryan Phillips

A look at a close strike call using MLB's ABS challenge system.
A look at a close strike call using MLB's ABS challenge system. / Via Pitching Ninja on
In this story:

MLB's new ball-strike challenge system can't get much closer than this.

During a matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians on Monday, Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford struck out looking on a high slider from Emmanuel Clase. Crawford didn't agree with the call and challenged it using MLB's experimental ABS system. The result was remarkable.

That is as close as you can get to being a ball while still being in the strike zone. It genuinely scrapes the top of the zone by a matter of millimeters.

Still, despite Crawford's disappointment, it appears the ABS challenge system has been a wild success during spring training. The players have adapted quickly, as have the umpires and fans appreciate that bad calls are being corrected.

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

Home/MLB