New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez during spring training on the back fields of Clover Park on Feb. 11, 2026, in Port St. Lucie. | CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 18: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves makes a catch during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Truist Park on June 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As you may know, MLB will use an automated ball-strike system in nearly all games this season. Teams only get two of these in the first nine innings of a game, which isn’t nearly enough. If an umpire misses less than five ball-strike calls in a game, it’s a very good effort. So they probably have a strategy for using their challenges. They will need one to use it effectively. We already know how Chris Sale feels on the subject. He’s borrowing a page from a Braves pitcher from yesteryear.
#Braves Freddy Garcia: "I don't panic. I just make pitch."
I feel that emotion and it may play into what the Braves want to do. He’s going to (A) let the catcher to decide on a close call and (B) bank those calls for later in the game. What I think you want to avoid from a pitching standpoint is having a third strike being called a ball and having it immediately hurt you. Did the Braves benefit from this situation last year? Yes, twice it happened where the Braves hit a home run. This is Drake Baldwin on the Fourth of July.
The Braves had 88 third strikes called a ball. They yielded two home runs. If you think you have the hitter struck out, that would be a good time to ask. 88 times over the course of a year would be 27% of your challenges. But that’s if you spot every error. In reality, your odds of overturning may be closer to a coin flip. So that’s over half your challenges. I would run the query the other way (Braves pitching versus opponent hitting) but it’s a tougher task. That is, until I can quit being lazy and fully upgrade my data collection.
Notice here that we’re not considering the game’s leverage here. In a close game late, a challenged third strike feels like a given. But trying to grab an out, whenever you can get, it seems like a good idea too. What we’re also not doing is considering how the Braves use innings and score instead of leverage when it comes to bullpen selection, and that might extend to this as well.
There’s lots more to consider. But there’s 400 of my words. So how will the Braves employ ABS this season? I yield back the balance of my digital ink to the commentariat.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 10: Adolis García #53 of the Texas Rangers juggles then catches a fly ball off the bat of Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Globe Life Field on August 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s assume for a second that Nick Castellanos finds gainful employment this offseason. It’s a likely supposition since he was still an above average hitter by wRC+ not long ago and likely would be unburdened of the yoke of outfield defense by whatever team decides to sign him. Wherever he goes, he will ultimately be compared to the player that is replacing him in Adolis Garcia. Together, the Phillies are spending ~$30 million on that position this year, paying one to stay and one to go away.
They will be linked all season, so let’s put our guesstimation hats on. Who will have the better season by WAR: Castellanos or Garcia? It’s going to be something worth following all year, from up close and from afar, to see if the money spent was done so wisely.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 27: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles takes the field prior to the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With Opening Day only 40 days away, we are winding down on what has been a busy Orioles offseason. Punctuated by the big-money signing of slugger Pete Alonso, the 2026 offseason has seen the O’s bring in Alonso, Ryan Helsley, Chriss Bassit, Zach Eflin and Leody Taveras through free agency, while trading for Taylor Ward, Shane Baz, Andrew Kittredge and Blaze Alexander. Mike Elias & Co. haven’t always met Birdland’s hopes and expectations with these moves, but no one can say they haven’t been busy.
The front office pulling the trigger on the Ward and Baz trades may signal an increased willingness to be aggressive in the trade market. Previously, Elias had been accused of clutching too tightly to the prospects he drafted/acquired, instead preferring to make trades using low-level prospects for players with lower upside. Even the hallmark acquisition of his tenure in Baltimore, the trade for Corbin Burnes, cost relatively little in terms of prospects.
The recent trades certainly paint a picture of a bolder, more “win-now” Mike Elias. Acquiring Ward came at the expense of starter Grayson Rodriguez, formerly the top pitching prospect in all of baseball and the presumptive future ace of the Orioles, who missed all of 2025 with shoulder and elbow injuries. The trade for Baz saw the O’s send away four Top 30 prospects, including two of Elias’ top four picks from the most recent draft.
Should the Orioles dip back into the trade market to bridge the gap between “playoff hopeful” and “true contender,” determining who is off limits in trade talks in now harder than before. Gunnar Henderson, as the Orioles’ best player and Top 20 player in all of baseball, surely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Samuel Basallo and his $67M contract would also undoubtedly be on the no-trade list. The same goes for the recently-signed Alonso.
But are there truly any other no-brainer, must-be-included candidates for an Orioles’ no-trade list? A year ago, it would have been unfathomable to consider trading Adley Rutschman. However, after his battles with injuries over the last 18 months, and the major financial commitment to Basallo, is that still the case? Infielders Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday have both shown flashes of All-Star potential. And yet, with Westburg’s own mounting injury concerns and Holliday’s general inconsistency, it’s also hard to label them truly untouchable.
In the outfield, Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers are the players with the most long-term upside, but is their potential high enough to keep them far away from the trade block? And while I’d personally love to see Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers spend the rest of their careers in Baltimore, the front office may not be so steadfast in their admiration for the Orioles top two pitchers.
So we turn it over to Camden Chat’s best would-be GMs. Who are the Orioles you would never trade, no matter what the offer was?
Aug 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Baseball is finally back as Spring Training has just begun this week and teams are reporting in to lay the groundwork for the upcoming season. In a lot of ways this is a new look Pittsburgh Pirates team on many levels. Even with the new look however I fear there may be some factors that would cause fans to tune out long before the All-Star break.
Poor team defense hampering the pitching rotation
The heart and soul of the Pirates is the pitching staff. The rotation of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Jared Jones (eventually) is going to be what elevates this team in the win department. Pittsburgh’s offense was putrid last year, but luckily the organization has added plenty of pieces to help their lineup and offer some more run support for their pitching core.
The downside of adding to this offense is that the Pirates were not able to address any major defensive concerns. Since the Ke’Bryan Hayes trade there has not been another third baseman acquired by the club, leaving that spot to likely be played by Jared Triolo. However, there’s a chance that Triolo will have to play shortstop if phenom Konnor Griffin is not deemed ready for the majors following Spring Training, leaving a question mark at third if that’s the case. The outfield needed some depth added and the Pirates just didn’t sign anyone that moves the needle defensively.
Last season the great pitching rotation that the Pirates had was hampered by the lack of offensive output, and regularly lost close games because of the lack of runs. It will be a disaster if all the Pirates did this offseason is flip the equation on its head and causes the pitching staff to again be hampered by a lineup that doesn’t make the required plays to keep opposing runs in check. ESPN projected that the Pirates will win 80 games in 2026, citing that the team defense will hold this club back from reaching its full potential.
A lack of Konnor Griffin
An argument could be made that Konnor Griffin is the most exciting prospect for the Pirates since Barry Bonds. In his lone season of professional baseball he absolutely crushed it in the minor leagues and at just 19-years-old is in a position to be on Pittsburgh’s opening day roster.
Now if Griffin is not a part of the Pirates immediately following Spring Training, it’s not the end of the world. The organization notably did not elevate Paul Skenes past triple-a until May 11 his rookie year. Sometimes it’s just about seeing how a player adapts to the next level and giving them time to adjust. However, if the Pirates give Griffin the Bubba Chandler treatment I will stop tuning in.
Pirates reporter @KevinGormanPGH of the Trib from Bradenton:
"I think Konnor Griffin is the starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day"
Chandler was infamously not called up until August 22 last season. The top pitching prospect in baseball was stuck in triple-a for most of the year and when he was called up the Pirates were already way out of the playoff race and were obviously not in a position to compete. I understand the idea of maintaining team control as long as possible and earning that extra year of control over a player’s career, but when there is a generational star sulking in the minor leagues it shows that the organization is not serious about winning. Griffin is the real deal, and if he’s not on the Pirates before June 1 I’ll have lost my patience.
Same old same old
For the first time in franchise history, the Pirates are projected to have a payroll over $100 million with FanGraphs projected the team to have a payroll of $105 million. This still puts the team well in the bottom half of the league of total payroll. While the teams with the highest payroll doesn’t always win the World Series, it does at the very least show that the organizations at the top are willing to do whatever it takes to win.
Because of the questionable team culture from previous seasons, the Pirates missed out on marquee free agents like Kyle Schwarber and Eugenio Suarez. Even if the Pirates were willing to pay top dollar, they weren’t going to get top dollar talent because of the preconceived notions surrounding ownership. The same owner that traded away Andrew McCutchen in 2018. The same owner that did not build upon the core of the team that brought the Pirates back to the postseason after 20 straight losing seasons. The same owner that covered up Roberto Clemente’s number with a drink ad. The one constant in this recent history of the Pirates is Bob Nutting, who will be public enemy number one as long as he sits atop his ivory tower as the owner of Pittsburgh’s ball club.
I want to believe in this new era of Pirates’ baseball with Don Kelly at the helm, but having a general manager as average as Ben Cherington and an owner like Nutting makes me fear that nothing has really changed. Groundhog Day just passed, and there’s a real possibility that we will witness the same Pirates’s season that we’ve seen year after year now since the last postseason appearance 2015. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. I’m already insane enough during the Steelers’ season, and I refuse to be driven insane during the Pirates’ season too.
Bob Nutting has been selling Pirates fans on the same story for almost two decades now pic.twitter.com/uLjcjKpQtU
What do yinz think? Will there be anything that will make you check out from watching the Pirates early on or will you be around for the full 162 games? Let us know in the comments!
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 16: Alex Vesia #51 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks back to the dugout during Game Three of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, October 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Alex Vesia threw a bullpen session as did many other Dodgers pitchers on the first official day of workouts at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. Then the veteran left-hander spoke to reporters en masse for the first time since the death of his newborn daughter Sterling in October.
“I was not prepared to not bring my baby girl home, but we’re carrying her with us every day,” Vesia said Friday. “It’s been hard, but we’re doing okay.”
“I like to be loyal and my relationships mean a lot. I’ve created such a relationship with the staff, the front office, the coaches, the medical and training staff, the clubhouse guys,” Muncy said. I just don’t want to create that somewhere else. Being here for my entire career at this point would mean the world to me, and this gives me the chance to do that.“
“The last two seasons changed my career,” Banda wrote. “I’ll always be grateful for my time in LA. This chapter meant a lot to me.”
The Tulsa Drillers, the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, unveiled a new alternate uniform for this season, with an oil derrick on the cap and honoring Route 66 on the jersey. From the press release: “A reflection of the infamous Route 66 neons, the blue outline imitates the familiar glow.”
Introducing our Tulsa Connects, where Drillers baseball meets the legacy of Route 66 in its Centennial year. pic.twitter.com/b2E6renBpO
Oct 1, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) stands for the national anthem before game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
We all know Jose Ramirez is the greatest of all-time – but who is your next favorite player on the Guardians?
This is not a question asking you who is next BEST. But, instead, whom does your heart prefer? Who do you like rooting for? Which player matches your personal preferences?
We will have another question about Jose in specific, but for this time, let us know who is your guy outside of Jose.
Let us know why you like that player and help us enjoy their presence on our favorite team in the comments below.
The conclusion to the 2025 MLB season wasn’t a particularly satisfactory one for Yankee fans, falling well short of the previous campaign in which they made it all the way to the Fall Classic, this time losing to a division rival in the ALDS—the same rival that stole the AL East crown from right under this team’s nose. In the middle of dropping that best-of-five series against Toronto, the Yankees saw their biggest free agent acquisition of the previous offseason absolutely implode on the road—Max Fried could not handle the Blue Jays in Game 2, one the Yankees desperately needed to win after getting their doors blown off in Game 1.
Postseason narratives are particularly sticky with top-level starting pitchers; we’ve already seen Max Fried talk in advance of the upcoming season about using that moment as fuel to motivate a strong sophomore campaign. As much as we might support using such motivation, it’s important to turn the page and, in particular, avoid singling out Fried as one of the primary reasons why the Yankees lost that series.
Without even getting into Fried’s previous (excellent) postseason outing against the Red Sox and the outstanding work he did during the season, the Yankees gave ample evidence before and after that Game 2 that their list of problems was longer than Fried’s struggles. Sure, it’s possible that had Fried been at the top of his game, the Yankees would’ve gone through. However, when you look at the path of each of those four games, the Blue Jays beat the Yankees handsomely in each of their three wins, while New York had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to secure their only win. All seven runs the Yankees scored in a Game 2 loss, the one Fried was involved in, came during garbage time innings. It’s not as simple as pointing out that New York only needed a decent outing to compete in that game.
If you take even a small step back, the idea of there being a question mark about Fried’s abilities in the postseason with the Yankees sounds ludicrous when you account for his performance against Boston. Facing Garrett Crochet in Game 1 of the Wild Card round, Fried outdueled his opponent with 6.1 scoreless innings, only for the bullpen to immediately cough up the lead in what turned out to be a loss. The Yankees obviously came back to win that series, and Cam Schllitler got his moment in the spotlight, which is beyond the point—in a pressure-packed moment against the Red Sox in the playoffs, Fried not only did his job but was able to dominate.
Projecting future postseason performances, when the Yankees inevitably count on Fried again—regardless of how the rest of that playoff rotation looks—the confidence level in giving the ball to him will be as high as it was coming into last season. Yes, his numbers with the Braves in the postseason didn’t instill a great deal of confidence, but that wasn’t a concern when he signed. Furthermore, it’s not like he didn’t have his moments, including tossing six scoreless innings at Minute Maid Park to win Game 6 of the World Series, thus clinching the Braves’ first title in the 21st century.
It’s important to head off these narratives, since they can be sticky. One game shouldn’t outweigh a full season of superlative performance (which came under immense pressure after Gerrit Cole went down), especially when a good game from Fried against the Blue Jays would’ve been far from enough to ensure a game and series win. It’s good that Fried is using the postseason as fuel, but it’s just as good to remember that he wasn’t singularly at fault last fall.
BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Baltimore Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias talks to MLB Network Host Lauren Gardner during the 2025 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at Pirate City on Friday, February 14, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
The Winter Olympics do not have the same appeal as the Summer Games. While nearly all of us can relate to the athletes running, swimming, jumping, and playing various ball sports in the sweltering heat of the summer, far fewer can sympathize with the snow-focused events that required a whole lot more time, gear, and resources than you had as a kid. I don’t know anyone that cross country skis. But everyone raced their friends, or has played some games of pick-up at recess.
That said, I have been enjoying the Winter Games! It’s nice to have some sort of sport to check out throughout the day. I don’t necessarily understand it all, but high-level competition is fun, and it’s filling a gap in the sports schedule that is often devoid of much else. Give me an international curling tournament every February! Maybe they already do that. I will have to check.
Anyway, the point of all of this is to say that baseball’s time to shine is nearly here. This weekend will see anyone that isn’t already in Orioles camp roll in ahead of the first full-squad workout on Monday. The first game of the Grapefruit League season takes place on Friday. Baseball is in the air.
You can tell by the pure volume of links down below that people are getting excited. There are genuinely interesting things to read about the Orioles all over the internet. The time for offseason hypothesizing and projecting is over. The players will be on the field (and then on our TVs and radios) very, very soon.
The final nail in that offseason coffin came on Friday, when the Orioles confirmed their deal with Chris Bassitt. Any lingering hopes for adding an “ace” were officially dashed, although that probably happened in truth quite a while ago. It will be up to the arms they have in-house to carry them through the early part of the season. If the team puts itself in a good enough position come July, they might be back in the trade market for an upgrade.
But let’s get through the spring healthy first. That has already proven difficult for certain parts of the 2026 roster.
Links
Another look at center field, Kjerstad’s long home run and other live batting practice nuggets on Day 3 of Orioles camp | Roch Kubatko Roch runs through a bunch of outfielders in this one. It sounds like Colton Cowser is the center fielder. That is not a shock to anyone at this point, but it wasn’t always obvious throughout the offseason. Heston Kjerstad is looking strong, which is great news. It’s tough to see a path to playing time for him with the Orioles, but it’s possible. If it doesn’t happen here, maybe he shows enough in the spring to get back onto radars around the league.
Jordan Westburg’s oblique setback starts another frustrating rehab process | The Baltimore Banner Thankfully, the Orioles are currently setup well to absorb an injury like this. If Westburg can actually get back to 100% (or close to it) before Opening Day, this won’t be a big deal. But obliques are tricky. They can linger and nag. Even if Westburg is cleared for the opener, the O’s may have to handle him with kid gloves early.
Which teams improved the most this winter? | MLB.com The Orioles are one of the most improved teams, according to bWAR added this offseason. That does not guarantee anything, particularly not in the AL East, but it is a reflection of the work done this offseason. Hopefully it translates onto the playing field.
Veteran RHP Bassitt agrees to 1-year deal with Orioles | MLB.com What had been reported earlier in the week was confirmed by the Orioles on Friday evening. Chris Bassitt will bolster a starting staff that feels a whole lot better than it did 12 months ago.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Ryan McKenna turns 29 today. The outfielder spent parts of four seasons with the Orioles, often coming on as a late-inning defensive replacement, or used as a right-handed bat to face left-handed pitching. Across those four years he accrued 0.8 bWAR and a 79 OPS+.
This day in O’s history
1959 – The Orioles purchase first baseman Whitey Lockman from the Giants. Lockman will later be traded to the Cincinnati Redlegs.
The above turned out to be controversial as trolls descended upon Taillon’s X-feed, prompting him to sign off for the season, as he put it.
Lots of spring training interviews via Marquee, making up for lost time, I suppose, since they went almost two weeks without any new material. Here’s the playlist.
I don’t see picking up Nick Castellanos. He isn’t what he was in 2019 when he knocked the ball around Wrigley for part of a season. If he was, he’d still be in Philly. Tyler Austin or even Jonathan Long might be better as an RH DH bat. But people gonna talk, and that’s in the zeitgeist.
Shelby Miller is the newest Cub, as reported by Robert Murray originally. Miles Mikolas has landed in Washington, sources say. Jose Quintana is a Rockie.
“Unfinished business” is in the air. The players are in the best shape of their lives and they’ll all pull together as a team. They have already had their hair cut and are after the jewelry. Real games start in a week.
“The work seems different than years past. I know it’s like a Spring Training cliche, but guys show up and it doesn’t seem as rah-rah exciting. It seems more like, ‘Let’s get to work’ exciting, if that makes sense. It should be an exciting year.” — Jameson Taillon
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DENVER, CO - APRIL 28: Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) pitches during a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 28, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Ryan Feltner had a forgettable 2025 season.
After a brilliant 2024 campaign, the right-hander made just six starts in 2025 before suffering from back spasms. He went on the 15-day IL on May 2 and was transferred to the 60-day on June 15. He made a few rehab starts in June, but was then optioned to Triple-A on July 4 and never returned to the major league clubhouse. In fact, his injury flared up again in late July, which ended his season.
But Feltner isn’t letting an injury-plagued 2025 sour his goals for 2026.
“Last year, my body didn’t hold up quite the way I wanted it to,” he said, “but I did a lot of things in the offseason to prepare me for this year. I spent it at Cressey Sports Performance in Jupiter, Florida. It was a good time. I got stronger – that was my main goal. I feel really healthy right now.”
“I’m super excited (for Schaeffer),” Feltner said.
“I had him in Triple-A as my manager, and I’ve always had great respect for him. I think he’s doing a great job, and he’s already started to move things in the right direction. (And we’d) kept in touch over the offseason and things like that. I’ve known him for a while, so it definitely feels like a positive environment around here right now.”
And as far as the pitching coaches go, Feltner has hit the ground running when he arrived in Arizona.
“I’ve worked closely with the pitching guys for about three weeks now, just being here early, and they were all around,” he said.
“I think they’re excited because I have a very diverse arsenal. I have a lot of pitches that I can throw, and so I think if I’m given the right pitch grip or the right cue or whatever it is, I’m able to throw any pitch.
“We’re kind of shaping my arsenal,” he continued. “It’s going to look very similar, but we’re going to do little tweaks that, I think, shift things in the right direction. So there might be a new pitch coming along. And they’ve been super helpful, even with the mental side as well, just giving me the confidence to be in the zone a lot and attack it.”
Feltner then revealed that he has been working on a cutter.
“I have a fastball. I have a two-seamer. I’ve always had a short slider, which has also doubled as a cutter to lefties,” he listed, “but there might be a designated cutter. We’re still working on it, but it’s still in the process.”
Something new pitching coach Alon Leichman likes to do is call pitches from the dugout, which has been intriguing to much of the baseball world – players and fans alike. Feltner hasn’t experienced it before, but offered his thoughts.
“I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I think the times when I’ve pitched the best are when I’ve really leaned into what the catcher is calling,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter to me where the pitch call comes from. I think [Leichman] has a lot of good information that he can go off of, and if he wants to call the pitches when I’m pitching, I would love that. I think for me, it clears up a lot of mental space. It’s just another thing that I don’t have to deal with, and I can just focus on pitching.”
It’s still early in the season, but Feltner is already feeling a new vibe in the clubhouse as they head into 2026.
“I think [I’m most excited for] the new culture around here,” he said. “I think there’s new energy. You walk through the hallways and there’s music playing. I think it’s a little more relaxed, and I think guys are going to have a lot more fun.”
Which signing are you more intrigued by — Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano or Jose Quintana? What do you think the starting rotation will look like now? Let us know in the comments!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: A general view of play between the Bay FC and the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/NWSL via Getty Images) | NWSL via Getty Images
Good morning baseball fans!
As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!
Today’s question: What are your 2026 predictions that you will stand by all season?
I am not great at making predictions. My predictions tend to be more about what I want to see, not necessarily what I think will actually happen. So I’ll try to make one of each.
In terms of what I would like to see happen this season, I predict Jung Hoo Lee will have an absolutely standout season and make the All Star team. I don’t know if that will actually happen, but it is the prediction I would like to see happen so I’m going with it.
In terms of what I think is likely to happen, I’m predicting that the team will have a below .500 season. I think the fact that they ended last year at exactly .500 was mostly due to having an unexpectedly strong start to the year that fizzled out before the All Star break. I don’t know that that will repeat, and I don’t think this team is meaningfully better than the 2025 team, so I think even .500 might be out of reach. But I hope to be wrong!
What are your 2026 prediction that you will stand by all season?
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 28, 2025: Justyn-Henry Malloy #44 of the Detroit Tigers bats during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park on May 28, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It’s official: the robot overlords have made it to the major leagues. Back in September, MLB announced that the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system would be in place for the 2026 season. More recently, they’ve confirmed this change and provided more clarity to the challenge process and the strike zone itself. The full list of rules and regulations around this can be found here; what follows is a summary of the most important aspects.
Fans of minor league baseball should be familiar with the ABS challenge system. In recent years, MLB has used its affiliates as testing grounds for procedural changes like the pitch clock and the extra innings “ghost runner” before implementing them in the major leagues. They’ve done the same with ABS and challenges, which have been used in the minor leagues in since 2022. The system started gaining more traction lately and was demoed in spring training last year. Now, it will be implemented in full for the 2026 MLB season.
It’s important to note that the ABS and challenge process will not be replacing umpires in full, although this technology is capable of doing so under future rules changes. Instead, the challenge system acts as a corrective process. Umpires call the game as usual, and if a player disagrees, they initiate a challenge. The rules surrounding the challenge process are quite interesting, in a legalese kind of way.
How challenges work
The first main rule is that only three people are ever allowed to challenge a pitch: the batter, catcher, and pitcher. No defender can initiate a challenge and neither can managers or coaches. Additionally, the player must initiate the challenge immediately and cannot receive any signal from a non-eligible player or coach before initiating. In fact, if the umpire suspects the initiating player received any external aid, he can reject the challenge.
The second major rule is that teams are allowed a finite number of challenges, in theory. Teams are allotted 2 challenges for a 9-inning ballgame, and an unsuccessful challenge (where the umpire’s call is confirmed) is lost. This does mean, however, that a successful challenge is retained, meaning an infinite number of correct challenges is theoretically possible. This is meant to encourage players to only challenge in situations where the call is either obviously wrong or so important that it’s worth risking a lost challenge for a slight chance of overturning the call. It will be interesting to see how that balances out. At the Triple-A level, many teams have instructed their players only to challenge in higher leverage situatioons so as not to potentially waste their challenges. Major league hitters may be allowed more leeway.
Furthermore, extra innings throw an extra wrinkle into the operation. If, at the end of 9 innings, a team has used and lost both of their challenges, they will be granted one bonus challenge for the 10th inning. If the team loses their bonus challenge and the game continues to the 11th inning, they will receive another bonus challenge, but they cannot stockpile bonus challenges. This means every team starts every inning after the 9th with at least one challenge. If the team saved both challenges from the original 9 innings, they’d keep both challenges into extras but couldn’t earn a bonus challenge until losing both of the originals. So, functionally, there’s no limit once you hit extra innings.
The rules include a handful of other procedures that are supposed to be exhaustive, but something will inevitably come up that isn’t strictly covered here. Teams are required to show how many challenges are left on the scoreboard, both the scoreboard and the broadcast will display a graphic showing the path of any challenged pitch with the strike zone overlaid, and if there happens to be a technical glitch, the challenge system can simply be prohibited until everything’s working again. It’s worth noting that ABS and challenges will be active in every MLB stadium and thus will be used for the playoffs, but not promotional games like the Field of Dreams game or the Mexico City games. The Tigers aren’t scheduled for any of those games, but it’s good to know.
What is the Automated Ball-Strike zone?
ABS itself is going to take some getting used to, for players and umpires as well as fans. The measurements for the automated strike zone are different than the zone that umpires are currently enforcing in a few ways.
For starters, the ABS zone is defined as a two-dimensional cross section down the middle of home plate, instead of a three-dimensional space like umpires call. The ABS zone is also slightly smaller. The top and bottom of the zone will be player-specific based on pre-season measurements. The lower limit is 27% of a player’s height and the upper limit is 53.5% of their height, standing straight up, without cleats. No more “knees to chest” or anything like that. Previously, umpires were instructed to call a zone that ranged from 24.2% to 55.6% of a player’s height, which is quite a bit larger than the ABS zone. The slightly more compact zone, customized to each players’ dimensions should lead to an adjustment period for veteran players and umpires.
It’s also very different than The Box we see on broadcasts. Almost every broadcast has a strike zone overlaid near home plate, but like the yellow first down marker, it’s just an approximation. Unless the producers adjust, this will be even more true now. The Box is set at the front of the zone and is widely understood to be a one-size-fits-all zone used for every player. Whether that’s updated likely depends on the specific broadcast.
This visualization of the called strike heat map compared to the current strike zone box gives you a pretty good idea how umpire accuracy has improved over the last 15 years. Essentially the middle of the zone used to be quite a bit wider than it should be, though the corners are still not called with much accuracy.
Personally, I’m glad to see the challenge system come to the major leagues. Umpires are quite accurate, having improved significantly with game by game feedback on their accuracy over the past decade. I’d hate to remove them entirely, but they’re still human, and even just sneezing at the wrong time can ruin a call. The actual amount of challenges may be lower than you’d expect. However, if teams do as expected and save them for high leverage scenarios and the late innings, their impact on game outcomes may be fairly signficant. It’s going to take some getting used to, as called strikeouts in big spots in a game will see outsized use of the challenges. No doubt teams are furiously strategizing on how to instruct their players to use them judiciously to maximum effect.
There's no doubt that at least one club MUST be looking at this chart (or better, one that includes the inning/score) to strategize ABS Challenges
The ABS challenge setup should eliminate those obvious mistakes without fundamentally changing how the game is played, and I think that’s a strong positive. Umpires will also be allowed to request in-game feedback from the ABS system to judge how well they’re calling the game. That type of feedback has already increased their accuracy in recent years.
How well it’s implemented won’t be known for a while, but the majority of players seem on board. I expect young players exposed to the system at the Triple-A level to have far more initial success than a veteran seeing this zone for the first time. The system has been tested at both the Single-A and Triple-A levels for several years now and will be active in Grapefruit League play again, so it shouldn’t take too long for everyone to adapt.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on September 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What once appeared to be a settled fifth starter spot for the Atlanta Braves has quickly turned into one of the more intriguing storylines of camp. With Spencer Schwellenbach’s elbow inflammation muddying the picture, Atlanta now has a legitimate spring competition on its hands.
Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and José Suarez are all in the mix, giving the Braves options and turning what felt like a formality into some competition as Opening Day nears.
More Braves News:
Alex Anthopoulos spoke to the media about the starting rotation, Ha-Seong Kim, and more.
In the final year of his contract, Chris Sale spoke with the media about his future in Atlanta.
MLB News:
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed starting pitcher Zac Gallen on a one-year, $22.05M deal. The deal is worth the same qualifying offer that he earlier rejected.
Nate Lavender // | Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
Which non-roster invitee are you most excited to see in major league spring training games?
