As Major League Baseball continues experimenting with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, not all players are on board with the changes. San Diego Padres ace Yu Darvish recently voiced his concerns about the technology, stating that he was unhappy with how it called the strike zone during a spring training outing.

After testing the ABS system in a live batting practice session, Darvish felt the calls were inconsistent.

“I feel like there were probably about two pitches that I thought were strikes that were called balls,” Darvish said through his interpreter. “Given that, I do not like it.”

The ABS challenge system, which has been used in Triple-A for the past two seasons, will be used in roughly 60% of spring training games in 2025. The system allows batters, pitchers, or catchers to challenge a ball-strike call by signaling to the umpire. A replay using Hawk-Eye camera technology will then determine whether the pitch was correctly called.

Padres' Yu Darvish, among other MLB pitchers, doesn't like the ABS system.

San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish (11) reacts in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Darvish’s frustration reflects broader concerns among pitchers who believe the system lacks the human element that has long been a part of baseball.

Darvish is not alone in his skepticism. Max Scherzer, Tyler Glasnow, and Luis Gil have all expressed mixed feelings about the system. While MLB hopes to eliminate human error, some players argue that the technology isn’t as accurate as advertised.

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“Having a pitch clock, if you have ball-strike implications, that's messing with the fabric of the game,” Scherzer said.

Critics also argue that the system does not properly account for batter stance, height, or other in-game variables, leading to calls that feel off compared to what players and umpires expect.

Despite the criticism, MLB remains committed to testing the ABS system. Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged the challenges but believes improvements can be made.

“I’ve been meeting with players for three years now, discussing this issue with them on and off,” Manfred said. “We’ve nailed down the technology, except for certain technical issues. I hope we are going to make progress on those in the second half of the season.”

While technology has improved umpiring accuracy in other ways—such as instant replay for close calls—some believe removing human judgment entirely from calling balls and strikes may alter the essence of the game.

For now, MLB will continue experimenting with the ABS challenge system, and the debate will only grow louder as more players, like Darvish, publicly push back against it.