- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Cy Young Winner Skenes Loses Strikes to ABS in Spring Debut
Pittsburgh Pirates' ace Paul Skenes had four strikes overturned by the automated ball-strike system in his first spring training start.
Published on Feb. 25, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lost four strikes to challenges in his first spring training start for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes struck out four and walked four over 2 1/3 innings, with the Atlanta Braves successfully challenging four called strikes to have them overturned to balls. The 53-pitch outing is expected to be Skenes' only one before he joins the U.S. team for the World Baseball Classic.
Why it matters
The use of automated ball-strike (ABS) technology, also known as "robot umpires," is a major change coming to Major League Baseball in 2026. Skenes' struggles with the new system in his spring debut highlight the potential challenges top pitchers may face in adapting to the new technology, which could have significant impacts on game strategy and outcomes.
The details
Skenes, who is going into his third season with the Pirates, allowed one hit and one run while facing 12 batters. Three of the four overturned strikes came in the first inning against Braves hitters Matt Olson, Jurickson Profar, and Austin Riley. In the second inning, Ronald Acuña also successfully challenged a called strike. While Skenes was consistently throwing in the upper-90s mph, the ABS system determined that several of his pitches were just off the strike zone.
- Skenes' spring training debut was on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
- Skenes is expected to join the U.S. team for the World Baseball Classic after this outing.
The players
Paul Skenes
The National League Cy Young Award winner, who is going into his third season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Atlanta Braves
The opposing team that successfully challenged four of Skenes' called strikes to have them overturned to balls.
What’s next
Skenes is expected to join the U.S. team for the World Baseball Classic after this spring training debut.
The takeaway
Skenes' struggles with the new automated ball-strike system in his spring debut highlight the potential challenges top pitchers may face in adapting to the technology, which could have significant impacts on game strategy and outcomes as it is implemented across Major League Baseball in 2026.
