First-Ever ABS Challenge Highlights Early Action in MLB All-Star Game
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game delivered history right out of the gate. Played in Atlanta on Tuesday night, the game saw the National League strike first, but the moment that stole the spotlight wasn’t on the scoreboard. It came from behind the plate.
With two outs in the first inning, pitcher Tarik Skubal faced Manny Machado and threw a borderline pitch. Umpire Dan Iassogna called it a ball, but Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh quickly called for a challenge. Moments later, the replay confirmed the pitch had clipped the strike zone. Machado was out, and baseball history was made.
ABS Tech Gets Historic First Use in All-Star Setting
That pitch marked the first successful ABS (automated ball-strike) challenge in MLB All-Star Game history. The league posted the clip online with the caption:
“The first ABS challenge powered by @TMobile in #AllStarGame history was … SUCCESSFUL!”
The ABS system has been tested in the minors since 2019. In this version, teams receive two challenges per game and keep them if the call is overturned. The system uses real-time tracking data to determine pitch location, bringing technology to one of baseball’s most debated areas: the strike zone.
Mixed Reactions From Players
Pitchers had some thoughts ahead of the game. Skubal joked,
“I have this thing where I think everything is a strike until the umpire calls it a ball.”
Paul Skenes, the National League starter, echoed that with a laugh:
“Pitchers think everything is a strike. Then you go back and look at it, and it’s two, three balls off. We should not be the ones that are challenging it.”
Despite the humor, the underlying tension is real. The ABS system could change how the strike zone is called across MLB if adopted in regular-season play.
MLB will review how the ABS system performed in this high-profile game and bring findings to the competition committee during the offseason. While Tuesday night’s success won’t end the debate, it’s another sign that the league is edging closer to an automated future behind the plate.
For now, fans can say they witnessed a bit of history and maybe the start of something much bigger for the sport.
Read More: MLB Ump Gets Slammed by Mariners Announcer After Blown Strike Call
