Overview
- At JetBlue Park, the Pirates–Red Sox game featured five consecutive ball‑strike calls overturned by ABS challenges, underscoring how quickly missed calls are being exposed in live action.
- MLB completed tightly controlled height measurements at spring sites to set each hitter’s zone, with officials using millimeter precision and rules such as no shoes or hats and a 10 a.m.–noon window.
- The ABS zone spans 17 inches in width and is judged at the plate’s midpoint 8½ inches from the front, with vertical limits set at 53.5% (top) and 27% (bottom) of a batter’s height after years of testing.
- Teams get two challenges per game initiated by a head tap from a batter, pitcher or catcher, with correct challenges retained; last spring’s trials averaged 13.8 seconds per review and a 52.2% success rate, with catchers the most accurate challengers.
- Clubs are refining usage in real time, as seen with the Angels burning early challenges and encountering a brief tracking glitch, while league safeguards include delayed TV (~9 seconds) and Gameday (~5 seconds) data and restricted on‑site strike‑zone displays.