Three Ways to Look at Rangers ABS Challenges Through 12 Games

The Texas Rangers are still feeling their way through how to use the Automatic Ball Strike (ABS) system for challenges.

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker greets Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona. | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker admitted over the weekend that he may have been too strict in how he allowed players to use ABS challenges initially this season.

The strings have loosened, but only slightly, in the past few days. Players like Wyatt Langford have admitted that some players are considering the player behind them when thinking about challenging and not wasting it for the next player.

Since teams only get two challenges — and only get to keep them when they’re successful — the Rangers have been among the stingiest teams when challenging. Baseball Savant has been keeping up with the data and here are three ways to look at how the Rangers have used ABS through their first 12 games.

Total Challenges

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Through 12 games the Rangers have challenged 11 calls — nine as the hitting team and two as the fielding team. No team has used it more than the Minnesota Twins, who have challenged 20 calls as the hitting team and 18 calls as the hitting team. Minnesota has challenged 38 calls overall.

Is that too many? Too few? Schumaker wasn’t sure when he talked about it during a pre-game scrum over the weekend. But he indicated that he was generally happy with how the Rangers were using them of late, pointing to a Langford challenge in a Friday game that, while it went against the Rangers, was the type of situation that was worth challenging.

But, in terms of the league, the Rangers are way behind in its use, especially behind the plate.

Successful Challenges

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis celebrates with Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Of the Rangers’ nine batting challenges they are 4-5 in terms of successful overturns. Behind the plate, the Rangers have split the two challenges. It’s just under 50%.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have the best successful overturn rate as a hitting team and they’ve been more frugal than the Rangers. Arizona has challenged five calls at the plate and been successful on four of them. So there are teams using it less than Texas but using it more successfully.

The Detroit Tigers have been masterful challenging as the fielding team. They’ve challenged 10 calls and are 9-1. That’s the best win rate in the Majors so far. Those challenges have helped flip two at-bats into strikeouts.  

One thing to consider for the Rangers — their nine batting challenges have eliminated three strikeouts.   

Individual Challenges

Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Remember Langford not wanting to spoil challenges for his teammates? Well, he hasn’t been shy about using challenges in the context of the Rangers. He’s challenged four pitchers, more than any other Texas player. Of those four challenges, he’s 1-3. He has yet to flip a strikeout or turn a challenge into a walk.

The other Rangers batters have used it once each — Kyle Higashioka, Andrew McCutchen, Jake Burger, Evan Carter and Josh Smith. Higashioka, McCutchen and Burger all used their one challenge to flip a potential strikeout.

Behind the plate, Higashioka and Danny Jansen have each challenged a call. Jansen won and Higashioka lost.