Batters have been more successful on robot umpire challenges in the playoffs than during the regular season, and teams are utilizing the Automated Ball-Strike System more overall in its postseason debut.
asserted
teams → utilize → debut
Seventy-one of 121 overall challenges under ABS prevailed during the 25 games of the Wild Card Series and Division Series.
asserted
challenges → prevail → Series
That includes an improvement for batters to 57% (29 of 51) from 49%.
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That → include → %
It’s not that hitters are necessarily being more conservative, either.
asserted
hitters → ’ → ?
Teams are challenging more in the postseason overall, with 4.8 per game compared to 4.3 during the regular season.
asserted
Teams → challenge → season
Teams exhaust their challenges when they are unsuccessful twice in the game, so the more times they win appeals the more opportunities they can have.
asserted
they → exhaust → opportunities
Catchers had won 60% (42 of 70) of challenges, just above their 59% during the regular season.
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Catchers → win → season
Pitchers were 1 for 1, with Tampa Bay’s Griffin Jax making the only challenge.
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Jax → make → challenge
“Maybe a little more cautious,” Rays catcher Liam Hicks said.
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Hicks → say → ?
“It’s more just in the back of your head, you’re like, you want to save these for a meaningful situation.
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you → ’ → situation
Among the four teams advancing to the League Championship Series, Cleveland won 7 of 13, Milwaukee 8 of 16, Tampa Bay 3 of 5 (with no tries by batters) and the Dodgers 2 of 6.
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Dodgers → advance → 6
Atlanta had the most challenges, winning 14 of 22 over seven games and the White Sox 12 of 31.
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Sox → have → 31
Among batters, Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers and Atlanta’s Austin Riley won both their challenges.
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Bauers → win → challenges
Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox went 0 for 2 and the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. had the most challenges, splitting on four.
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Jr. → go → four
“It’s a new muscle for these guys to instinctually have, so I think if this is the route we go for the next few years guys will get more and more instinctually,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
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Boone → ’ → years
Some guys have struggled with it.”
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guys → struggle → it
Braves catcher Sean Murphy was 4 for 4 and the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto won 5 of 6.
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Realmuto → win → 6
Realmuto had the first game-ending ABS challenge in postseason history in Game 2 of Philadelphia’s Wild Card Series against Atlanta.
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Realmuto → have → Atlanta
Kyle Teel of the White Sox had the most challenges, winning 8 of 12, and the Guardians’ Patrick Bailey was second, succeeding on just 4 of 10.
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Bailey → have → 10
The Brewers’ William Contreras won 4 of 9.
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Contreras → win → 9
“Some of the first-inning challenges, 1-0 counts, it’s like, let’s let those go and save them for when we might need them later in the game,” Realmuto said.
uncertain
Realmuto → ’ → game
“With that being said, we have a lot of guys that know the strike zone really well.”
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that → say → zone
Just 17 challenges were defined by Statcast as in high-leverage situations, and eight of 17 were successful.
“You’ve got to be careful trying to script it or dictate the perfect situation for it.
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You → define → it
You don’t know what it’s going to lead to, even if it’s early,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said.
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Weiss → know → what
“My message has always been, the lower the leverage, the more certainty you need to have and vice versa.
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you → need → certainty
Among 25 umpires who worked the first two rounds, four had perfect rates and were confirmed on all challenges.
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four → work → challenges
Tripp Gibson, James Hoye, Nic Lentz and Gabe Morales all were challenged twice and confirmed twice.
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Gibson → challenge → ?
Lance Barrett was overturned on 10 of 12 challenges during Milwaukee’s Game 2 Division Series victory over San Diego and Adam Beck on seven of 10 during Philadelphia’s Game 2 Wild Card Series win over Atlanta.
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Barrett → overturn → Atlanta
Roberto Ortiz was overturned on 6 of 9, Jansen Visconti and Todd Tichenor on 4 of 7, Shane Livensparger on 5 of 6, Cory Blaser and Chris Guccione on 4 of 5 and Alex MacKay on 4 of 6.
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asserted
Ortiz → overturn → 6
The Aporia
