Royals, Perez Top MLB in Automated Ball-Strike Challenges

Through the first weekend, Kansas City and Salvador Perez lead the league in successful ABS appeals.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 6:36pm by Ben Kaplan

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented baseball game, with overlapping shapes and planes in vibrant colors representing the strategic adjustments required by the new automated strike zone technology.The new Automated Ball-Strike challenge system has forced players and teams to rethink their in-game strategies in the opening days of the 2026 MLB season.San Francisco Today

In the first weekend of the new Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) in Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals and catcher Salvador Perez have emerged as the early leaders. Perez topped all catchers by going 4-0 on ABS challenges, while San Francisco's Heliot Ramos and Cincinnati's Eugenio Suárez were the only batters who went 2-0 on their appeals. The Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks were the only perfect teams, with Kansas City going 4-0 and Arizona 3-0 on challenges. Meanwhile, the Houston Astros struggled, going 0-6 on ABS appeals.

Why it matters

The new ABS system, which uses automated technology to call balls and strikes, has been a major point of discussion in baseball this season. How teams and players adapt to the new system in the early going could provide insights into how the technology will impact the game moving forward.

The details

Under the ABS rules, players and coaches are allowed a limited number of challenges to the automated strike zone calls. Perez's 4-0 record on challenges led all catchers, while Ramos and Suárez were the only batters to win both of their appeals. Three-time MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels went 3-1 on challenges. The Royals and Diamondbacks were the only teams to remain perfect on challenges in the first weekend, while the Astros struggled mightily at 0-6.

  • The new Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) was implemented at the start of the 2026 MLB season.

The players

Salvador Perez

The veteran catcher for the Kansas City Royals, who led all players in successful ABS challenges over the first weekend of the season.

Heliot Ramos

The San Francisco Giants outfielder, who was one of only two batters to go 2-0 on ABS challenges in the first weekend.

Eugenio Suárez

The Cincinnati Reds infielder, who was the other batter to go 2-0 on ABS challenges in the first weekend.

Mike Trout

The three-time MVP outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, who went 3-1 on ABS challenges in the first weekend.

Ronald Acuña Jr.

The Atlanta Braves outfielder, who was the only batter to go 0-2 on ABS challenges in the first weekend.

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What they’re saying

“The new ABS system is definitely an adjustment, but our guys have done a great job of understanding the strike zone and knowing when to challenge the calls.”

— Mike Matheny, Manager, Kansas City Royals

What’s next

Teams and players will continue to adapt to the new ABS system as the season progresses, with managers and catchers likely playing a key role in maximizing successful challenges.

The takeaway

The early returns on the new Automated Ball-Strike System in MLB show that some teams and players have already found ways to effectively utilize the challenge system, with the Royals and catcher Salvador Perez emerging as the early leaders. How the rest of the league adjusts to the new technology will be a major storyline to follow throughout the season.