Baseball is evolving, but not everyone is on board with the changes. The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, currently being tested in spring training, has sparked heated debates across the league. Yankees Manager Aaron Boone has been one of its loudest critics, calling the system unnecessary and disruptive. But while Boone sees the challenges as a frustrating gimmick, not every Yankee shares his outright disdain.
Enter Geoff Hartlieb, a non-roster invitee fighting for a bullpen spot. On Tuesday night against the Red Sox, he got a firsthand lesson in how ABS can flip a game on its head. Hartlieb believed he had struck out Boston’s Kristian Campbell to end the sixth inning—he even started walking off the mound. But Campbell challenged, the system overturned the call, and moments later, Hartlieb surrendered a walk and a game-tying two-run homer to Masataka Yoshida.
And Boone, already skeptical of ABS, wasn’t pleased. “Boom, strike three, you’re out of the inning. Walk off. Oh. Challenge. Overturned. It’s just a weird reset,” he vented.
Hartlieb, however, took a more even-keeled approach. While he admitted the situation threw him off mentally, he didn’t see the system as the enemy. “You’re told to never let your foot off the pedal, but when you think the inning is over, you exhale,” he explained. “Once that breath has left you, it’s hard to pull it back in and immediately go back to who you were.” That momentary lapse cost him, but he wasn’t looking to blame. Instead, he acknowledged that ABS has worked both for and against him in the past, highlighting its double-edged nature.
Aaron Boone was critical of the ABS challenge system again this week. Thought #Yankees RP Geoff Hartlieb’s perspective on it for this story was interesting — he had an inning-ending strikeout called back on a challenge and then gave up a two-run home run:https://t.co/9Sg0nt66Jh
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) March 20, 2025
And that’s the real debate, isn’t it?
Some hitters love it—Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. used ABS to overturn a called strike in that same game, confidently dropping his bat and jogging to first before the decision was even announced. But as Hartlieb pointed out, ABS isn’t just helping hitters. “You might miss your spot by 17 inches, but if it crosses the plate, it crosses the plate,” he said. “It’s helped me, it’s hurt me. It’ll help and hurt me again at some point.“
So where does that leave us?
The future of ABS: Will MLB make it permanent?
Love it or hate it, the ABS challenge system is forcing its way into baseball’s future. Spring training is like a test run by MLB teams to see if it could potentially be integrated into regular season games.
Supporters contend that utilizing technology could eradicate human error and guarantee a strike zone for all players. On the other hand, critics such as Aaron Boone raise concerns that its implementation may disrupt the flow of the game and lead to unwarranted interruptions and mental adjustments for pitchers. So, where does the league go from here? Will they tweak the system, cut down on challenges, or eventually implement full automation behind the plate?
One thing is clear: ABS isn’t going away quietly. Minor league data has shown improved accuracy, and some players—especially hitters—love the ability to challenge bad calls.
But as Geoff Hartlieb pointed out, pitchers are learning the hard way that the system doesn’t just help batters—it can turn an inning upside down in a flash. The league will need to weigh competitive integrity against the game’s natural flow. Maybe fewer challenges per team? Maybe a system that doesn’t require you to challenge?
Whatever be it, MLB must strike the right balance between technology and tradition before making the final call. Thoughts?
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