Overview
- During a Cleveland–Cincinnati spring training game, home plate umpire Jen Pawol ruled a Nick Lodolo slider to Steven Kwan a ball before a catcher-initiated ABS challenge confirmed it as a strike.
- Video of the overturned call circulated widely as outlets and social media users mocked the miss, with some commentary framed in explicitly sexist terms.
- MLB plans to use the automated ball‑strike challenge system in the 2026 regular season, and it was applied on this play to deliver a quick review.
- OutKick and the Daily Caller highlighted the incident as evidence of how ABS can immediately expose missed calls by human umpires.
- Pawol, who became MLB’s first female home plate umpire in 2025, has faced intensified scrutiny as attention on ABS grows during spring exhibitions.