MLB Rule Changes Give Aaron Judge Low Strike-Zone Leverage

The automated ball-strike system could benefit the Yankees slugger by correcting missed calls on low pitches.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Major League Baseball's new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which will be active at all ballparks starting this season, could significantly benefit Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. The system uses advanced camera tracking to define a precise strike zone for each player, with the bottom of Judge's zone sitting at around 21.7 inches off the ground based on his 6-foot-7 frame. This should help correct the frequent missed calls on low pitches that have long penalized the towering slugger, who has been one of the game's most dominant hitters despite that disadvantage.

Why it matters

Judge has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past several seasons, winning three MVP awards and a batting title while consistently ranking among the league leaders in walk rate. However, his elite pitch recognition and strike zone control have sometimes worked against him, as umpires have too often called low pitches that were out of the zone as strikes due to his imposing stature. The new ABS system should help rectify those missed calls and provide Judge with more favorable count leverage, potentially boosting his already historic production.

The details

The ABS system uses 12 Hawk-Eye cameras and a private 5G network to precisely track every pitch. Each team receives two challenges per game, which can be initiated by the batter, pitcher or catcher by tapping their hat or helmet. Successful challenges are retained, meaning a team only loses a challenge when it is wrong. The automated strike zone is a two-dimensional rectangle set over the middle of the plate, 17 inches wide, with the top defined at 53.5% of a player's certified standing height and the bottom at 27%. For the 6-foot-7 Judge, that means the bottom of his zone sits around 21.7 inches off the ground.

  • The ABS system will be active at all MLB ballparks starting Opening Day on March 25, 2026.
  • The Yankees held a 75-minute ABS education and strategy meeting on the first day of pitchers and catchers workouts on February 12, 2026.

The players

Aaron Judge

A 6-foot-7 slugger for the New York Yankees who has hit 210 home runs over the last four seasons, won three MVP awards, and a batting title.

Aaron Boone

The manager of the New York Yankees, who believes the ABS system will benefit several of his players who excel at controlling the strike zone, including Judge.

Max Fried

An All-Star left-handed pitcher for the Yankees who plans to challenge pitches during spring training to calibrate his perception before using the ABS system in regular season games.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know if I look at it so much as the low (strike). I look at it as our guys that are really good at controlling the zone, it should benefit. Aaron is certainly one of those guys that controls it really well, knows it real well. So I would say hopefully he is one of those guys that benefits from it.”

— Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager (pinstripesnation.com)

“There's a couple times in a game where I think a pitch is there and I'd really like the opportunity to see if it was. There are also times that I know that I threw a pitch that probably wasn't a strike, and you get it.”

— Max Fried, Yankees Pitcher (pinstripesnation.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.