MLB's new ball-strike challenge system can't get much closer than this.
During a matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians on Monday, Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford struck out looking on a high slider from Emmanuel Clase. Crawford didn't agree with the call and challenged it using MLB's experimental ABS system. The result was remarkable.
This Challenge is about as close as you can get.... 😳 pic.twitter.com/dVEOoTzANg
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 3, 2025
That is as close as you can get to being a ball while still being in the strike zone. It genuinely scrapes the top of the zone by a matter of millimeters.
Still, despite Crawford's disappointment, it appears the ABS challenge system has been a wild success during spring training. The players have adapted quickly, as have the umpires and fans appreciate that bad calls are being corrected.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mariners' J.P. Crawford Loses the Closest Ball-Strike Challenge Yet.
