The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System powered by T-Mobile is coming to Major League Baseball this season. For a refresher, you can read about everything you need to know about the ABS system that will bring more accuracy and strategy to the sport.
On Friday, we saw the system used during the first slate of Spring Training games of the 2026 season. While ABS was used last year in Spring Training games in the Cactus and Grapefruit League, it’s worth checking in to see how the system fared in the first set of games in 2026.
Across five Cactus and Grapefruit League games, 23 total challenges were utilized, good for an average of 4.6 per game. Of the 23 challenges, 13 calls were overturned, making for a solid 56.5 percent success rate.
The most action -- and overall success rates -- came between the D-backs and Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The two teams combined for seven challenges, six of which were successful. The D-backs were successful on four of their five challenges -- the most attempted and successful challenges of any team on Friday -- while the Rockies went 2-for-2.
Of the 10 teams that played, the Orioles were the only club that did not issue a challenge. The Orioles, Mariners and Royals were the only teams that did not issue a successful challenge on Friday.
There should be plenty of ABS action on Saturday as we have a full slate of games.