TAMPA — Aaron Boone is no fan of Major League Baseball’s latest experiment.
The league has implemented an automated ball-strike, or ABS, challenge system this spring, giving players the opportunity to contest calls made by home plate umpires. To challenge, a batter, pitcher or catcher must simply tap their head after a call is made. Jumbotrons then display strike zones with Hawk-Eye tracking technology to show whether the pitch was a ball or a strike.
Teams get two challenges per game, but they only lose a challenge when unsuccessful.
MLB is going to test the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system during Spring Training games.
This was system was used in MiLB last year where calls challenged by players were overturned 51% of the time, per MLB.
What are your thoughts on the ABS Challenge System? pic.twitter.com/vraRdcf5WX
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 19, 2025
It will be at least another season before any form of ABS is implemented in real major league games, but the Yankees’ skipper has made it abundantly clear that he’s not a fan of the current format.
“I do not like this,” Boone said Tuesday.
The manager, reiterating sentiments he’s shared all spring, made that declaration after the Yankees’ 4-4 tie with the Red Sox featured numerous — or as Boone put it, “frivolous” — ABS challenges. He later suggested one challenge per game per team would be more reasonable.
While Boone acknowledged that some of Tuesday’s challenges worked in the Yankees’ favor, one that did not got him going in his postgame press conference.
Asked about Geoff Hartlieb’s performance in the game, Boone argued that a reversed ABS challenge led to a rough afternoon for the backend bullpen candidate. Boston’s Masataka Yoshida crushed a two-run homer off Hartlieb in the sixth inning, but only after Kristian Campbell had a successful ABS challenge that allowed him to continue his at-bat before drawing a two-out walk.
“I mean, ABS there,” Boone said, some disappointment in his voice. He went on to note that such reversals must emotionally deflate pitchers, especially when they think they’ve gotten out of an inning like Hartlieb did. “It’s just a weird reset,” Boone continued.
Boone has also mentioned that ABS takes away from catchers who are strong framers, a skill the Yankees emphasize with their backstops.
While the ABS challenge against Hartlieb frustrated Boone, one that went in Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s favor got the manager laughing on Tuesday.
Chisholm actually won two ABS challenges in one at-bat in the sixth inning. The second one came after he got rung up with a full count on a pitch low and away. Chisholm did the necessary tap of his head, but then he dropped his bat and made his way to first base before the challenge could even be processed.
Jazz Chisholm had ZERO hesitation challenging this strike three call 😂 pic.twitter.com/hQ8T4twKgs
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 18, 2025
ABS ultimately proved Chisholm right, though Boone was asked about the second baseman potentially showing up home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz.
“I’ve talked to Jazz about the humility in the challenge,” a smiling Boone said. “Jazz doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s, in his mind, just being quiet there.”
Boone added that he didn’t think anyone was offended, but he and Chisholm had a chat about ABS etiquette.
Speaking of manners, Boone also said some Yankees veterans have tried to avoid making ABS challenges. Aaron Judge appeared to make a halfhearted attempt at one on Tuesday, which wasn’t processed, prompting that tidbit from Boone.
“They just don’t want to do it when it’s not in play anyway [in 2025],” Boone said. “So I think it was just the one where [Judge] was kind of like, ‘Should I?’”
Told that Judge reached for his helmet, Boone replied, “He kind of did. I think it was a timing thing. And then I think he was fine with it. I don’t think he wanted to cause a stir.”