Yankees Aggressive in Challenging Automated Ball-Strike Calls

Boone praises team's success rate on challenges, though offense still struggles in loss to Mariners

Mar. 31, 2026 at 5:20am

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The New York Yankees were aggressive in using the automated ball-strike (ABS) system on Monday night, successfully challenging five pitches in a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Manager Aaron Boone praised the team's success rate on the challenges, which created better scoring opportunities, even though the offense still struggled overall.

Why it matters

The Yankees' use of the ABS system highlights the growing role of technology in baseball and the strategic decisions teams must make around challenging calls. While the challenges did not lead to a win, it shows the Yankees are embracing the new system and looking to maximize any advantages it can provide.

The details

The Yankees went 5-for-5 on challenges, including two in one at-bat and three in a row in the fourth inning. Ben Rice, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each successfully challenged pitches below the zone in consecutive at-bats, though the Yankees were unable to capitalize offensively. Earlier, Jose Caballero turned a 1-1 count into a 2-0 count and then a strikeout into a walk by challenging pitches.

  • In the fourth inning, Ben Rice, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each successfully challenged pitches below the zone in consecutive at-bats.
  • In the third inning, Jose Caballero successfully challenged two pitches in the same at-bat, turning a 1-1 count into a 2-0 count and then a strikeout into a walk.

The players

Aaron Boone

The manager of the New York Yankees, who praised the team's aggressive use of the ABS system and success rate on challenges.

Ben Rice

A New York Yankees player who successfully challenged a pitch below the zone in the fourth inning.

Giancarlo Stanton

A New York Yankees player who successfully challenged a pitch below the zone in the fourth inning.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

A New York Yankees player who successfully challenged a pitch below the zone in the fourth inning.

Jose Caballero

A New York Yankees player who successfully challenged two pitches in the same at-bat in the third inning.

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What they’re saying

“Really good job by the guys. When you have that kind of success rate, it's not going to be like that every night, but I thought every one was obviously warranted and a couple in some key spots to give us a chance to build an inning, we just weren't able to build much offensively tonight.”

— Aaron Boone, Manager, New York Yankees

“You also get a little frustrated over there, like, those are razor-thin pitches sometimes, you don't want to always have to be challenging. But good on the guys for hammering the strike zone right now.”

— Aaron Boone, Manager, New York Yankees

What’s next

The Yankees will look to build on their success with the ABS system as they continue their series against the Mariners and the rest of the season.

The takeaway

The Yankees' aggressive use of the ABS system highlights the growing importance of technology in baseball and the strategic decisions teams must make to maximize any advantages it can provide, even if the challenges don't always lead directly to wins.