ABS Challenge System Exposes Brutal Day for Umpire CB Bucknor

Fans and players may love the new MLB ball-strike challenge system, but umpires are sure to hate it when it makes them look bad.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 1:22am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Home plate umpire CB Bucknor had a rough day on Saturday, with the new MLB Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system overturning six of his calls in the Cincinnati Reds' 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox. The most stunning sequence came when Bucknor punched out Reds' Eugenio Suarez on consecutive called third strikes, only to have both pitches overturned after Suarez challenged them. Later, Bucknor's missed call on a Trevor Story strikeout led to the Red Sox manager being ejected for arguing.

Why it matters

The new ABS challenge system is likely to expose more umpiring mistakes and lead to increased scrutiny of certain umpires' performance, even if they generally do a good job. This could confirm existing perceptions about particular umpires and spark more debates around the role of technology in baseball.

The details

Bucknor had eight calls challenged on Saturday, with six of them being overturned. The most notable sequence came in the 6th inning when he punched out Reds' Eugenio Suarez on consecutive called third strikes, only to have both pitches overturned after Suarez challenged them. Later, Boston's Trevor Story was called out on strikes on a pitch that appeared to be out of the zone, leading to the Red Sox manager being ejected for arguing the call.

  • The incidents occurred during the Cincinnati Reds' 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, March 29, 2026.

The players

C.B. Bucknor

The home plate umpire who had a number of his calls overturned by the new MLB Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system during the game.

Eugenio Suarez

The Cincinnati Reds player who successfully challenged two consecutive called third strikes by Bucknor in the 6th inning.

Trevor Story

The Boston Red Sox player who was called out on strikes on a pitch that appeared to be out of the zone, leading to the Red Sox manager's ejection.

Alex Cora

The Boston Red Sox manager who was ejected for arguing the called third strike on Trevor Story.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Fans might love it. Players might eventually learn to love it (if they do not already). But umpires are going to hate Major League Baseball's new ABS challenge system for balls and strikes.”

— Adam Gretz, Freelance writer

What’s next

The new ABS challenge system is likely to be a major storyline throughout the MLB season, as more umpiring mistakes are exposed and debates continue around the role of technology in the game.

The takeaway

The new MLB Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system is already proving to be a double-edged sword, delighting fans and players by correcting obvious umpiring errors, but also putting increased scrutiny on umpires and potentially confirming existing perceptions about certain officials' performance.