The Automated Ball-Strike System is coming to MLB this year, and this much is certain for the Seattle Mariners: The robot umps aren't ready for Cal Raleigh. From what we saw last spring, he knows how to challenge a call.
So, shoutout to George Kirby for having the right idea for how to go about using the ABS in 2026. He was asked about it in a media scrum on Wednesday, and the part that stood out was him saying he was just going to trust Raleigh, who "knows the zone better than anybody."
"It's going to be tough when I throw a front-hip sinker and I don't get it (the call) and tap my head.