The new ABS system shows just how hard referees have to work

With less than two weeks left in spring training before the start of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, we're starting to get a good sense of what the new automated ball-and-strike review system (ABS) will bring this season.

The good news is that video review requests won't cause excessive delays in games. The bad news—at least for the umpires officiating behind home plate—is that everyone will be able to see just how far some calls are from being called correctly.

Unsurprisingly, the mediocre C.B. Bucknor finds himself, of course, on the wrong end of the spectrum, as evidenced by yesterday's (Thursday) game between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros. To give you an idea, no fewer than three called pitches were overturned in the first inning alone. And the rest of the game didn't go any better.

Umpire C.B. Bucknor had three pitches overturned in the first inning today pic.twitter.com/iAP5QS8nEx— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 13, 2026

Not to mention the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in spring training that left a lasting impression, as five consecutive challenges were successful. Mitch Trzeciak, who was behind the plate for that matchup, received heartfelt applause when the video review confirmed he had ultimately made the correct call on the sixth contested play. Admittedly, it's no easy task to umpire an MLB game given the sheer power of today's pitchers, combined with the wild movement they put on their pitches. Moreover, we shouldn't lump all umpires together.

But let's just say that some of them are now even more in the spotlight, and that doesn't reflect well on the sport.

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