Padres' Manny Machado 'Done' With ABS Challenges

One called third strike was the last straw.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 11, 2026. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

When Major League Baseball introduced the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System for the 2026 season, the assignment was straightforward if not intuitive.

For all hitters, the top end of their strike zone will be 53.5% of their measured height. The bottom would be 27% of that height. The width of the plate provided the width of the zone.

Manny Machado didn't get the assignment. At the very least, the San Diego Padres' third baseman isn't convinced that the cost of an incorrect challenge outweighs the benefit of getting a call overturned.

So far this season, Machado is 2-for-5 in ABS challenges. Rather than look to improve his 40% success rate, Machado is taking his strike zone and leaving it up to others to judge.

"I’m done,” Machado said, via the San Diego Union-Tribune, after challenging a strike-three call that was confirmed in the fourth inning of the Padres' 1-0 win on Wednesday.

Machado said earlier this year that he would only tap his helmet to challenge “obvious” calls.

Now?

“I thought it was obvious,” he said of his third consecutive failed challenge Wednesday in Denver. “But yeah, I’m done.”

The pitch in question was a 91-mph changeup by Rockies right-hander Chase Dollander that clipped the inside corner of the zone.

Machado might be interested to know that called strikes on changeups have only resulted in successful overturns for batters 44% of the time through Thursday.

Curveballs (51% overturn rate), sinkers (49%), four-seam fastballs (48%) and sliders (46%) have all resulted in more successful challenge outcomes for hitters, according to Statcast's pitch classifications.

Machado at least had the good sense to challenge a strike-three call, and had the right area in mind when he challenged the pitch.

The inside corner (which Statcast classifies as attack zone 16) has resulted in overturned strikes 57% of the time for batters. That's better than the outside corner (35%), the top (52%), or the bottom (48%) boundaries of the strike zone.

It will be curious to see if catchers, batters and/or pitchers can learn from their previous mistakes and improve their challenge accuracy.

Just don't expect Machado to try. He joins veteran pitcher Chris Sale among those who have said they won't use the ABS system to challenge any calls.

Fortunately, Machado won't have to worry about it for their two-game series in Mexico City, as the ABS Challenge System won't be active at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú.

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