Yankees' Manager Breaks Down ABS System Impact on Aaron Judge

The MLB is entering a new era in 2026, with the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System officially coming to every ballpark this season. For the New York Yankees, manager Aaron Boone thinks the change could work in their favor, and he was pretty specific about why.

The ABS system lets pitchers, catchers, and batters challenge a ball or strike call by tapping their helmet right after a pitch. What makes it different is that the strike zone is now tied to each player's height, not a universal standard, meaning taller hitters get a higher bottom zone and shorter hitters get a lower one. Each team gets two challenges per game and keeps one if the challenge is successful.

On Buster Olney's ESPN podcast, posted to X on Feb. 25, Boone broke down how that height-based zone could reshape at-bats across the league. Judge came up pretty quickly in that conversation.

"I think he'll benefit because he knows the strike zone," Boone said. "I think those guys that are really adept at knowing the zone. Obviously, he is an outlier on the ball down, as are Giancarlo and other large guys like that. So I think that's one thing we've noticed with this, because the strike zone, just on balance, is going to shrink a little north and south again."

On the podcast, Aaron Boone discussed how Aaron Judge might impacted by the ABS challenge system. https://t.co/ckzQOZfBeE pic.twitter.com/cmVvy0D93h
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 25, 2026

At 6-foot-7, Judge's bottom zone sits higher than almost anyone else in baseball, meaning low pitches that used to sneak by as strikes are now far more challengeable for him. That is a real edge, especially late in counts when one borderline pitch can flip an entire at-bat.

It also helps that Judge led the league in incorrect calls against him last season and has already been telling others to be aggressive using the system in spring training.

How the ABS Challenge System Forces Pitchers to Adjust Every At-Bat

Boone also pointed out something that has not gotten as much attention, which is what this system actually demands from pitchers.

"For guys like Judge, it's going to shrink southwise. So I think one of the biggest adjustments is going to be for pitchers to really, I think they established the bottom of the strike zone on a given outing with a given umpire, and you kind of know what it is," he said.

"Well, like we know, that changes every batter and you've got a 5-foot-8 guy, and then all of a sudden the next guy's a 6-foot-3 guy. You've got to recalibrate a little bit, especially guys with command. So that'll be one of the nuanced challenge things that you got to learn as you go a little bit."

The zone resets with every single batter. A command pitcher facing a 5-foot-8 hitter one at-bat and then a 6-foot-7 Judge the next has to mentally recalibrate between pitches. That is a real adjustment, and one that will take time to figure out.

The ABS story tends to get framed around hitters, but Boone's point reminds you that pitchers are equally in the middle of this. For a Yankees captain who already hit two home runs in his spring debut and looks fully healthy, being on the right side of this rule change is not a small thing heading into Opening Day.

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