While the Southern League gets to experiment with tackier baseballs no other league is using, the Triple-A leagues are now playing under a new form of robo-umping.
Baseball America's Kyle Glaser explains that each series is now split into two forms of automated ball-strike system umpiring. The first three games are entirely called by ABS, with the home plate umpire relaying the calls via an earpiece. The latter three games use a challenge system, where teams can challenge pitches it feels are egregious.
The split series addresses one of the things I'd wondered about when MLB placed ABS in Charlotte last year: How do catchers get meaningful feedback on receiving technique if balls and strikes would be called the same without any catcher at all? In an ideal world, catcher presentation would have no impact on the strike zone, but in actuality, somebody like Carlos Pérez might be missing some meaningful time to improve a skill that's going to be required in the majors.
With at least three games featuring the challenge system, this gives a catcher an opportunity to build that skill.
“One issue people have raised with us is the catching position,” [MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan] Sword said. “The importance of catcher framing is impacted significantly by a full ABS system where the way that you receive pitches just doesn’t matter anymore.
“In the challenge world, that effect is mitigated significantly where that skill is still valuable. There are a whole host of other issue related to that format choice that we’re thinking through, but again, that’s the purpose of this season.”
Charlotte 18, Gwinnett 11
- Oscar Colás went 2-for-5 with two doubles, a walk and two strikeouts.
- Yoán Moncada homered, singled twice and walked in his four trips.
- AJ Alexy had the most normal line of everybody: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 11 of 16 pitches for strikes.
- Liam Hendriks' second game back: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Chattanooga 8, Birmingham 6
- Alsander Womack went 1-for-5 with a double and a K.
- José Rodríguez was 1-for-5 with a homer and two strikeouts.
- Yoelqui Céspedes homered, walked and struck out twice.
- Adam Hackenberg was 0-for-3 with a walk.
Greensboro 8, Winston-Salem 7
- Terrell Tatum walked once and struck out four times during an 0-for-5 day.
- Loidel Chapelli was 0-for-3 with two walks, an HBP and a strikeout.
- DJ Gladney went 0-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Wilfred Veras, 4-for-5 with two doubles.
- Wes Kath was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Andrew Dalquist: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 25 of 47 pitches for strikes.
Augusta 8, Kannapolis 7
- Jordan Sprinkle went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, and was caught stealing.
- Brooks Baldwin went 1-for-3 with a homer and a walk.
- Uh oh, Peyton Pallette: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 11 of 29 pitches for strikes.
