In a historic spring training game, the Dodgers faced the Cubs while showcasing Major League Baseball's automated ball-strike challenge system for the first time. Manager Dave Roberts humorously advised Max Muncy to refrain from challenging calls due to his reputation for disagreeing with umpires. However, Muncy's chance came when Cubs pitcher Cody Poteet challenged a call against him. The technology confirmed a strike, leaving Muncy struck out looking, marking a significant moment in baseball history.

Despite mixed feelings about the ABS system, Muncy expressed intrigue, noting its potential to enhance accuracy without significantly impacting game pace. Players will adapt strategies around this system, aiming to mitigate its effects on games. Roberts left the door open for its integration into regular-season play, emphasizing the importance of making accurate calls in critical moments.

In a historic moment during the Chicago Cubs' spring training opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitcher Cody Poteet initiated the first challenge on a ball/strike call in Major League Baseball history. This occurred when Poteet believed a fastball to Max Muncy was a strike, but plate umpire Tony Randazzo called it a ball. Following the new spring training rules, Poteet tapped his head to signal for a review, leading to a reversal of the call, putting Muncy at 0-2 before striking out.

This spring, MLB is trialing an automatic ball and strike system, allowing up to two challenges per game, which can be retained if successful. Players like Muncy have expressed interest in the system's potential for implementation in the future, emphasizing the importance of accuracy in every call.

The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) during spring training games is set to transform how umpires make calls. Cody Poteet, the Cubs pitcher, became the first player to use the system successfully, challenging a call made by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo that was incorrectly judged a ball. The pitch was, in fact, a strike, demonstrating the technology's potential to enhance the accuracy of officiating in baseball.

This new system allows players to challenge calls within two seconds, with successful challenges retaining the team's ability to challenge further. As teams adapt to this technology, it could very well lead to its implementation in regular-season games by 2026.

The 2025 MLB season kicked off with a spring training exhibition game featuring the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking the debut of the automated ball-strike (ABS) system. This innovative system, tested extensively in the minors, allows for challenges on pitches called by human umpires. A notable moment occurred when Cubs pitcher Cody Poteet successfully challenged a ball call against Dodgers' Max Muncy, demonstrating the system's potential impact on game strategies.

While this version of the ABS isn't fully automated—relying on human umpires for each pitch—the appeal process gives teams a limited number of challenges per game. If successful, this could lead to a more widespread use of the ABS system in the regular MLB season, with a potential rollout planned for all 30 teams in 2026. As the league evaluates this technology throughout spring training, fans and players alike await its influence on the game.