MLB has been experimenting with replay technology for over 15 years, but the introduction of the automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS) has drawn strong criticism from one of the game’s most decorated pitchers – Max Scherzer.<\/p>
While ABS isn’t a fully automated strike zone, it does reduce some of the human elements in the game, such as pitch framing and even the natural occurrence of human error – both of which have long been part of baseball’s charm. Instead of making umpires obsolete, MLB has opted for a challenge-based system<\/a>, allowing teams to strategically question calls rather than fully handing over control to the technology.<\/p> But Max Scherzer isn’t a fan.<\/p> Making his spring training debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, Scherzer found himself on the wrong end of the ABS system twice during Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.<\/p>Max Scherzer vs. ABS<\/h2>