Former New York Yankees Coach Weighs In on ABS Challenge System in Spring Training

A former New York Yankees hitting coach talks about ABS testing during Spring Training.

Dec 10, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; (L to R) MLB Network hosts Greg Amsinger, Mark DeRosa and Sean Casey talk to Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meeting | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Technological advancements transform the landscape of every business, and Major League Baseball is not immune.

MLB will test the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) in a little over half of the games played this Spring Training, and the New York Yankees are going to be part of the experiment.

If this spring's test is successful, commissioner Rob Manfred has said the ABS could be used as soon as the 2026 regular season.

Whether it's baseball, football or water polo officials are going to miss calls, sometimes in big spots. There's logic in backing up human umpires with advanced technology like the ABS once it's consistent enough to be deployed.

But how do Major League players and coaches feel about this kind of technological evolution?

Former Yankees hitting coach Sean Casey was a Big League first baseman for 13 seasons. During a recent episode of his "Mayor's Office" podcast, Casey weighed in on the ABS.

"I love it dude," he said emphatically.

Casey has seen the system first hand, while attending an Independent League game in Montana.

The system is very fast, adding just 17 seconds to a game on average.

Casey state, "Its really cool. The fact that they are, this is a big deal. This is a really really big deal that they are doing this in Major League Baseball Spring Training because that means it's coming to the Big Leagues. You get to this point, and they've been testing it since 2019 in the Atlantic League. They have enough data now, just like the other rule changes, that this works."

The current iteration of the ABS gives each team two challenges.

Only pitchers, catchers and hitters can challenge a balls and strikes call.

The challenge must be made immediately after a pitch with no assistance from the dugout or other players.

To initiate a challenge, the player must tap their cap or helmet to alert the umpire.

ABS does not replace traditional umpires, it's closer to the NFL's challenge system where it can only impact a few plays per game. Umpires are no doubt uneasy about this advancement, as it could threaten their job security long term.

Casey said on this mixed dynamic, "I like the human element of the umpires too. Those guys are the best in the world, man."

His point that if the ABS has gotten this far, it's going to eventually come to The Show, is a sharp one.

Major businesses don't develop a technology for more than half a decade to not use it.

This system is inevitable, and at least for now, it will just have a small impact on games as a challenge option.