ABS Glitch Confirms Strike on Pitch 0.8 Inches Low vs. A's
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- The ABS system confirmed a 2-0 pitch from Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers to Tyler Soderstrom as a strike in the fourth inning of Saturday's 6-4 Athletics win, even though the replay on MLB.com showed the pitch was 0.8 inches low and should have been a ball.
- Soderstrom immediately challenged the call, and after a short delay plate umpire Adam Beck announced the strike was confirmed, meaning the Athletics lost one of their challenges — though it was largely moot because Soderstrom eventually drew a walk.
- Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said the umpires told him the call was confirmed by the controller of the ABS communicating from upstairs, and that the on-field crew only has access to information through their earpiece, not the iPad replay available in the dugout.
- Kotsay said the A's reviewed the iPad replay at the end of the inning, realized the pitch was low, and tried to get the challenge restored between innings but were told it could not be returned, and pledged to seek clarification from the league.
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday he had not previously seen that happen this season, calling the misfire unusual in his experience with the new system.
Why it matters: The glitch exposes a structural gap in MLB's Automated Ball-Strike challenge system: umpires on the field are bound by what the ABS controller tells them through their earpiece, while teams can review the pitch on an iPad in the dugout — meaning the replay and the umpire's official information can disagree, and once a challenge is lost it cannot be reversed. The A's say they will press the league for a fix.
