Cal Raleigh Shines as Robot Umpire Successfully Overturns 4 of 5 Calls in All-Star Debut

ATLANTA (AP) — Cal Raleigh was a star not only in the Home Run Derby but also in the first-ever robot umpire challenge at the All-Star game. As Seattle’s catcher, he successfully called for a review of a strikeout from Detroit’s Tarik Skubal against San Diego’s Manny Machado in the first inning.

Four out of five challenges resulted in successful calls against the plate umpire, Dan Iassogna. This system, known as the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), may be used regularly as soon as next year.

One standout moment was when Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson became the first batter to challenge a call, reversing a strike on a fastball from Washington’s MacKenzie Gore. In another instance, Kyle Stowers from Miami unsuccessfully challenged a call that upheld an Andrés Muñoz pitch as a strike, ending the inning.

Fans and players seemed to enjoy the new system, according to NL manager Dave Roberts. “There’s a strategy to it. I like it. I think it’s good for the game,” he said.

As Raleigh and Skubal navigated the game, they demonstrated how the ABS worked. When Iassogna called a pitch a ball, Raleigh tapped his helmet, calling for a review. The result flashed on the scoreboard, prompting laughter from the dugout. Machado even remarked, “I knew it was a strike.”

However, Skubal expressed some doubts about the effectiveness of challenges during regular-season games. He joked about wasting challenges on early pitches.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is optimistic about the technology’s potential. He mentioned that the sport’s competition committee will discuss the system for the upcoming season. Manfred emphasized the importance of correcting bad calls without slowing the game down. “We owe it to our fans to get it right,” he stated.

While the error margin for ABS can be up to half an inch, some players see this as a concern. Union head Tony Clark noted, “There’s a lot of discussion that still needs to be had.” Manfred, however, seemed less worried, suggesting there should be no buffer zone for strikes.

The way ABS is measured differs from traditional rules. It uses a percentage of a batters’ height rather than a cubic zone as defined by umpires. This might lead to more discussions on how to perfect the strike zone.

Since 2019, MLB has experimented with the ABS in minor leagues. Players have contributed valuable feedback to shape how the system is implemented, showcasing a strong preference for a challenge system over automatic calls.

Skubal raised a key point about what happens if technology fails during games. “If power goes out and we don’t have ABS, what will happen then?” he questioned.

As technology and rules evolve in baseball, there’s much to anticipate regarding how these changes will impact the game in the future.

For more on Major League Baseball, check out AP MLB News.

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