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Guardians fan experience won't be same with ABS Challenge System. Opinion
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- Guardians fan experience won't be same with ABS Challenge System. Opinion
CLEVELAND — If you care about the Guardians , you've done it, probably with a hot dog in hand.
Maybe you've yelled or just muttered under your breath, but you've done it. You've complained about the umpire's interpretation of balls and strikes . You know you have.
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Well, now you can witness the delivery of a state-of-the-art verdict in real time.
The fan experience across Major League Baseball has a new wrinkle this season, and Guardians enthusiasts received their first taste of it in person at Progressive Field during a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in Cleveland's home opener on April 3.
The sport is different, and the way you'll consume it has changed, too. Northeast Ohio, meet the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System.
The pitcher, catcher or batter can challenge ball or strike calls by tapping his cap or helmet, but it must be done within roughly two seconds after the pitch. A graphic displaying the result is shown on the scoreboard at the ballpark and on TV. Teams begin the game with two challenges and retain them if successful.
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After experimentation in the minor leagues since 2022 and in MLB spring training since last year, the ABS system has arrived at the sport's highest level.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cade Smith, left, and catcher Bo Naylor celebrate a win over the Chicago Cubs in the home opener April 4, 2026, in Cleveland.
Baseball purists will hate it, yet this is hardly the only change to the game in recent years. Disputed home-run calls could be reviewed via replay starting in 2008, managers could challenge plays beginning in 2014, the automatic runner in the 10th inning and later debuted in 2020 and the pitch clock has virtually eliminated marathon games since 2023.
The ABS system is different, though. It can satisfy fans who want to shove a blown ball or strike call in an umpire's face. Unlike painfully long reviews in other sports, it can provide fans with a societal obsession: instant gratification.
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On the other hand, the ABS system can represent harsh rejection when a challenge isn't overturned.
Either way, it can swing a game.
Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan makes a catch during the home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 4, 2026, in Cleveland.
In the Guardians' home opener, the ABS system was activated three times.
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Cubs left fielder Ian Happ challenged a called third strike while facing Guardians closer Cade Smith in the ninth inning. The ABS system confirmed the strikeout, prompting a huge ovation from the home crowd (one of the loudest of the day) and resulting in the first out. Smith went on to earn his second save of the season.
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In the eighth inning, Cubs pinch-hitter Moisés Ballesteros challenged a low called strike and got it overturned. The ball didn't help him much. He later struck out on a foul tip.
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Guardians second baseman Brayan Rocchio challenged a pitch low in the strike zone in the seventh inning. The ABS system confirmed it was a strike. Rocchio ended up grounding out before Steven Kwan drew a walk and Chase DeLauter followed with a two-run home run in Cleveland's three-run seventh.
Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith sets for a pitch during the home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 4, 2026, in Cleveland.
The sample size is too small to adequately judge, but through their first eight games the Guardians are off to a horrible start with ABS challenges. They have been successful on just two of 13 challenges. The two wins are the fewest in MLB, and the 11 losses are the most.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt explained he expected there to be a learning curve.
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"We want to win as many challenges as we can," Vogt said. "We don't care about our percentage. We don't care. We need to continue to use it because you're going to learn how to get better at it by using it. So, we don't have any rules [restricting our players from challenging].
"There are times where we might say, 'Hey, we're not challenging this inning because we want to save it for later in the game or on defense.' But at the same time, our guys have free rein. I actually like it when they get it wrong because that gives us a chance to talk about it, right? I'd love if we got them all right, but it gives us things to talk about so that we can learn together how to use it."
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, right, talks to Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd during batting practice before the Guardians home opener April 4, 2026, in Cleveland.
As for whether Vogt believes implementing ABS challenges is good for baseball, he said he doesn't know yet.
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"It's just like the pitch clock," Vogt added. "We need to learn how to use it. I think it's great for some egregious calls. I think it's great, and so is the challenge system. Sure. I don't know. I'm kind of an old-school guy, so it's definitely a change."
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Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, front, hugs Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd during batting practice before the Guardians home opener April 4, 2026, in Cleveland.
Put down the hot dog for a second and raise your hand if you're in favor of the ABS system (raises mustard-stained hand).
If technology can ensure the right call is made, why not incorporate it?
And if you want the human element to remain a part of the game, it's still there, complete with new ABS strategies to contemplate.
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Whether you love or loathe the ABS system, there is no denying it can create a magical moment in a stadium when a call benefits the home team. Smith's verified strikeout in the ninth is evidence.
"When it comes up on the board, there's a moment of awe almost watching it come in," Smith said. "And then they cheer depending on the result, so, yeah, I know it's something the fans get excited about, for sure."
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians home opener shows how ABS system changes fan experience
