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MLB Launches Ball-Strike Challenge System After Spring’s Hot‑Mic and Denied Review

Teams now get two instant, player‑initiated appeals decided by Hawk‑Eye against a height‑based strike zone.

Overview

  • Home-plate umpire Bill Miller, whose mic caught him saying "please be a strike" during a Giants‑Guardians game Saturday in Scottsdale, had his ball call upheld by ABS as 0.3 inches outside.
  • A Cavan Biggio plate appearance showed how strict timing works when his attempt was refused because he tapped to challenge after a brief bat flip, which rules treat as not immediate.
  • The system uses Hawk‑Eye cameras to judge each pitch against a 17‑inch‑wide, rectangular zone set to each batter’s measured height with a top near 53.5% and a bottom near 27%, and it rules the pitch at the plate’s midpoint.
  • Players can challenge only as the batter, pitcher, or catcher with a quick tap to the helmet or cap, teams start with two challenges and keep one when correct, and the result appears on the scoreboard within seconds.
  • After years of minor‑league and spring tests that yielded about four reviews per game and roughly 50% overturn rates, early big‑league focus has shifted to catcher‑led strategy, with San Francisco’s Patrick Bailey going 10‑for‑14 on spring challenges.