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MLB Needs a Challenge System For Balls and Strikes, And It Exists in the Minors

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I love the challenge system in Triple-A.

At the Major League level, if you argue balls and strikes, you immediately get ejected from the game. It doesn’t matter how wrong the call was. It doesn’t matter that we have the technology to see instantly what the correct call should have been. The rule of the umpires at the MLB level is near infallible.

At the Triple-A level, the challenge system allows for an instant and efficient review to ensure the important pitches get called correctly. The pitcher, catcher, and batter can challenge any pitch. A team gets as many correct challenges per game, but can only miss three times. Take a look at this pair of pitches from Paul Skenes on Friday night as the best example of this system.

On the first pitch, Skenes threw a pitch that hit the lower left corner of the strike zone. The pitch was called a ball. Skenes tapped the top of his cap, signaling a challenge. A second later, the technology we can access on our cell phones verified that it was a strike. The result changed the play from a leadoff walk to a strikeout.

Later that inning, Skenes threw his 54th pitch of the game on a 2-2 offering. The pitch was called a ball. Skenes once again signaled for a challenge by tapping the top of his hat. Once again, the ball was overturned by replay to be called a strike.

Without the challenge system, the third inning for Skenes could have gone much different. He would have been working around a leadoff walk. He would have been throwing a 3-2 offering for his 55th pitch, rather than being finished with the inning. All due to a human error that involves trying to see where a 100 MPH pitch accurately crossed an invisible box above the plate.

The challenge system didn’t always work in the favor of Skenes. The pair of videos below shows Skenes getting a called strike, which was overturned for a ball. This was in the same location where MLB umpire Angel Hernandez called three straight balls as strikes to ring up Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford.

https://twitter.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1778961545877500003

That combination shows how MLB desperately needs this challenge system. It’s embarrassing that the Major League level features such blatant mistakes with no system in place to correct them. The system exists, and is being used all the way down to Single-A games.

Later on Friday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates were hurt by the lack of this challenge system. Aroldis Chapman was dealing with control issues, leading to a walk that loaded the bases. He eventually walked Alec Bohm to bring in a run and make the score 5-2. The final pitch, as shown below, was actually a strike.

I knew this pitch was a strike from watching the broadcast. Before Bohm had reached first base, the broadcast showed the replay of the pitch with the strike zone tracker that is used for the Triple-A challenge system. Even if you weren’t watching the broadcast, you could access your phone anywhere in the world with an internet connection and see the image above within seconds.

There is no good reason why the Automatic Balls and Strikes challenge system isn’t at the Major League level. The only reason I can think of is that the umpires union would block it, as this would be a step toward completely called automatic balls and strikes, with reduced need for a home plate umpire. That’s not a good reason. Especially when Angel Hernandez is botching calls repeatedly in the majors, while the minors get the same calls correct every time.

PIRATES LOSE TO PHILLIES

The Pirates lost 4-3 to Philadelphia in walk off fashion, after Aroldis Chapman blew a save in the seventh.

As Chapman came on to pitch in the seventh with a 3-2 lead, I thought it was a good move. The Phillies had the top of their lineup due up, and Chapman was likely to give up at least one base runner. If all worked well, he would get through the inning, leaving the 5-7 hitters due up in the eighth.

It did not work well.

Chapman had the same control issues he showed last night. He allowed a leadoff walk to Kyle Schwarber, who moved to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a groundout. After walking Bryce Harper, Chapman gave up an RBI single to Alec Bohm. Colin Holderman came in to get out of the jam, but the score was tied.

The Pirates took the lead earlier in the game on a two-run homer by Oneil Cruz. They got six strong innings from starter Marco Gonzales, who allowed two runs and struck out five. They couldn’t hold the lead, and eventually lost in the ninth inning on a walk off single.

I mentioned in a recent column that Chapman was due for an outing like this. It comes one night after David Bednar looked like he was getting back on track. The Pirates have won a few this year in come from behind fashion, and this week they’ve evened that out with a few giveaways by the bullpen.

PROSPECT WATCH

The nightly Pirates Prospect Watch is now its own article. I’ll be doing the weekly recap every Monday, as there are no games played. The daily Prospect Watch will look at one player who stands out that day, along with the recaps you’d normally see in this article.

Saturday’s Prospect Watch was highlighted by four no-hit innings from Bubba Chandler.

STATCAST HEROES

The changeup from Marco Gonzales had nine whiffs tonight on 18 swings. STATS

The minor league Statcast Heroes can be found in the nightly Pirates Prospect Watch.

DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN

Oneil Cruz went opposite field for a two-run home run, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the fifth. If you were listening to the broadcast before this moment, Neil Walker placed a home run jinx on the pitcher.

Quinn Priester had another game with a high amount of whiffs, recording 17 on the day.

https://twitter.com/indyindians/status/1779239462171455522

Liover Peguero with an opposite field two run shot.

Malcom Nunez showing off the reaction times and arm strength at third base.

Canaan Smith-Njigba got Indianapolis on the board in a blowout game two.

Bubba Chandler threw four no-hit innings today, and looked relaxed on the mound with these strikeouts.

https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/1779280484641677471

Sean Sullivan loaded the bases with no outs in the first, and got out of it with three straight strikeouts, with this pitch to wrap up the inning.

Michael Kennedy had four whiffs on his slider, including this check swing for one of his six strikeouts on the night.

Jesus Castillo picked up this hit, and stole two bases for Bradenton, giving him six on the young season.

TODAY: PIRATES (10-5) AT PHILLIES (8-7)

Game Time: 1:35 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

Pirates Starter: Mitch Keller, RHP (1-1, 5.29)
Phillies Starter: Zack Wheeler, RHP (0-2, 1.89)

In the Minors…

  • LHP Michael Plassmeyer takes the mound for Indianapolis at 2:05 PM EST.
  • Altoona throws LHP Anthony Solometo for his second start of the year at 1:00 PM.
  • Greensboro will see RHP Wilber Dotel follow his four shutout innings from last time as he takes the mound at 2:00 PM.
  • Last year’s 12th round pick, Khristian Curtis, will start for Bradenton at Noon.

PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY

The latest in the Saturday Sleepers series looks at right-handed reliever Valentin Linarez, who saw a velocity increase last year, and started displaying better control by the end of the season. He’s opening the year pitching out of Altoona’s bullpen.

Saturday Sleepers: Valentin Linarez Added Velocity and Improved Control in 2023

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THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS

Last week’s premium article drop looked at the top 50 prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. This week looks at five hitters who can grade inside the top 30, plus a look at the path from rookie ball to the majors.

**Williams: The Path From Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues

In this subscriber-exclusive column, I give my view of the journey from Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues, and the elements that every player deals with along the way.

**Jack Brannigan is the Next Gold Glove Quality Third Baseman in the Pirates System

The Pirates have Gold Glove third basemen in Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo. They’ve got another candidate in the system in power hitter Jack Brannigan.

**Mitch Jebb Brings Elite Speed and Swing Decisions to Greensboro

With so many three-true-outcome approaches in pro ball, 2023 second round pick Mitch Jebb brings a refreshing style of contact, speed, and hustle.

**Jase Bowen Has a Power/Speed/Defense Combo to Dream Upon

Following a 20-20 season in Greensboro, and with the ability to play center field or first base, Jase Bowen is a prospect with a lot of upside to dream upon.

**Tres Gonzales Brings Advanced Hitting Approach to Altoona

One of the most advanced hitters I watched last year was Tres Gonzales. His approach isn’t flashy, but he gets the job done with contact, on-base skills, and a bit of power.

**Rodolfo Nolasco Has Huge Power and Huge Swing and Miss

Some of the best raw power in the system belongs to Rodolfo Nolasco. He showed that with 20 homers in Single-A in 2023. He’ll need to improve the swing and miss to repeat at the higher levels.

SONG OF THE DAY

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Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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