March 26, 2026 — San Francisco
New York infielder José Caballero became the first player to lose a challenge under Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) during Wednesday night’s season opener, a 7-0 Yankees victory at Oracle Park. Caballero unsuccessfully challenged a called strike on a Logan Webb pitch that had been ruled a strike by veteran umpire Bill Miller.
The pitch — a 90.7 mph sinker on the upper, inner corner to start the fourth inning — was called a strike by Miller, who has worked in the majors since 1997. Caballero tapped his helmet to signal a challenge, and the ABS, using 12 Hawk-Eye cameras, upheld the call in a graphic displayed on the scoreboard.
“Nope, I wanted to go for it,” Caballero said after the game. “I thought it was a little higher than what it showed. I think it’s really good, keep everyone accountable. It gives us a chance to really see how good (we are) with the zone or not. I wish it was the other way around, I’m trying to get the overturn call but this time I didn’t.”
New York held a 5-0 lead at the time. Caballero had driven in the game’s first run with an RBI single in a five-run second inning off Webb. Webb later recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the fourth inning.
The ABS, which has been tested in the minor leagues since 2019, was also used during major league spring training in 2025 and 2026. While the system is intended to standardize ball-and-strike calls, some managers say they will continue to argue calls and sometimes push for ejections.
CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa noted that the very next pitch after the unsuccessful challenge was another called strike that appeared even farther outside the zone. Caballero declined to challenge that pitch as well, citing New York’s limited allotment of two challenges and the situational strategy involved. “There’s plenty of strategy with these challenges. Teams won’t just challenge anything they think went against them. The game situation is important,” Axisa wrote.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone voiced support for the ABS before the game and stressed that he would discuss challenge strategy with his players. “I’ve tried to be real direct with them and why,” Boone said. “I feel like we’re going to be good at it, that’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to evolve with it.”
New Giants manager Tony Vitello, who came to the major leagues from the University of Tennessee without prior pro playing or coaching experience, admitted he briefly panicked after reading headlines about a “robot umpire.” “I’ve got to be honest with you, one thing I was looking at is who are the umpires tonight? You get on Google and the first thing you see is there’s going to be a robot umpire. And it was only for a millisecond but I kind of freaked out,” he said.
The debut marks the first regular-season use of MLB’s automated strike system, setting the stage for new challenge strategies and continued debate over how technology will shape in-game decision-making.