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jesse rogers
As the hot stove season gets underway and we wait to see where the top remaining free agents sign, MLB teams are already curious how they will utilize a major rule change coming to the game in the new season.
After more than a decade of using the video review challenge system for plays on the bases, MLB is ready to do the same for balls and strikes. Starting in 2026, a batter, catcher or pitcher will be allowed to challenge a ball-strike call made by the home plate umpire, using a system that has been in use in the minor leagues for several seasons. Teams are initially allowed two challenges per game, and if successful, they can continue to challenge. But after losing two, they are out of luck for the rest of the games.
Those parameters open the door to strategic use of challenges. The manager will undoubtedly not want to lose two of his picks early – especially in low-leverage moments – only to potentially need them later when the game is on the line. Since only the pitcher, catcher or batter can ask for the challenge – and by rule it must happen immediately, meaning there is no time to look at the monitor and signal in instructions – managers are going to have to prepare their teams ahead of time as to when it is best to use the challenge.
Teams are in the early stages of formulating their challenge strategies, but at the winter meetings earlier this month, ESPN asked managers to take a look at their thinking as spring training approaches. One thing became clear: Managers would not trust — or perhaps even allow — pitchers to challenge the call.
What are your initial thoughts on the challenge system?
Arizona Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo: “I love it. I think back in the beginning in 2010-11, when they started talking about things that were going to change – I’m a baseball purist. I love baseball. But out of necessity, times have changed, and I welcome the fact that they’re going to go to this system.”
philadelphia phillies Manager Rob Thomson: “I really want to sit down with our minor league guys, especially our Triple-A staff, because they know more about it than I do. I think I would really like it. I liked it in spring training last year, and I think the players liked it for the most part.
“There are some people who weren’t really keen on it, but I think most people liked it.”
milwaukee brewers Manager Pat Murphy: “I don’t know as much about it as I want to know. Obviously, I know how it works, and we did it in spring training. … I want to learn even more, get as much information as possible to try to figure out what’s the best way to handle it and bring it to the club.
“What I like is that it’s player-driven, you know what I mean? And it requires players to embrace it, understand it, understand its tactics. It’s all good for our game, that’s what I’m thinking.”
How will you strategize for the challenge?
detroit tigers Manager AJ Hinch: “I’ve spent some time talking to our player development group and even some players who have been up and down [to the minors]I think, similar to replays, there are some subtle adjustments that everyone has to make around some of the new rules, This will get you into a good rhythm and have a good sense of it, I think the first month will probably be the hardest month, Maybe spring will help a little, But in the spring, you can try and fail and it’s not as punishing,
“You do it in San Diego or Arizona or in the home opener against St. Louis and it’s a little more expensive. We’ll have an eye on who’s good at it and who’s not. Because there might be some position players that take away their optionality from challenge calls.”
Murphy: “As far as reserving or retaining the challenge, I would instruct them about the impact of the game on whether you should decide that or not. I don’t want someone to randomly, at the end of the second innings, ruin our last challenge and say that’s the end of it. I want us to be smart about it.
“We’ll give them instructions. We’ll talk about it. We have very smart baseball players. They’ll be able to make those adjustments.”
cincinnati reds Manager Terry Francona: “We have a camp in early January. I think they call it battery camp. A lot of our player development guys are there and that’s one of the things on the agenda to talk about.”
minnesota twins Manager Derek Shelton: “It’s one of those things that you’re not going to get a really good barometer of because it doesn’t really matter in spring training. I think we have to downplay it a little bit in spring training. I think how we train for it in spring training is it’s using bullpen situations to be able to educate your group on what is a strike and what is not a strike.”
pittsburgh pirates Manager Don Kelly: “We’re really relying on our minor league staff to come up with some parameters. When they get here we’ll get to work developing a system to maximize things.”
colorado rockies Manager Warren Schaefer: “We’re bouncing back and forth about specific game situations. In low leverage, do you want to risk it? Balancing that with a guy of that level of caliber who knows the strike zone. You give them free rein in spring training. Find out who knows the strike zone.
“None out, two outs in the second, maybe not. Late inning? Maybe if it’s the sixth inning and the bases are loaded, maybe you use it.”
St. Louis Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol: “I’ll be spending a lot of time on this with my staff. And of course down [in the minors],
Shelton: “We’ve talked about it a lot. I don’t know if anyone has any ideas. I guarantee you’ll see a lot of copycats. You’ll see every organization looking at other organizations and how they attack it.”
There has been talk about not allowing pitchers to challenge. How do you see it?
Lovullo: “Based on some of the questions I asked and my conversations with people involved in player development who are very familiar with it, and what I saw in spring training [last year]I will try not to allow the pitcher to make [call]They become very emotional, They’ve got to their spot, and they want to be an inch and a half away from the plate, I think that’s what baseball has done over time, He hits his spot, the gloves are there, the catcher gets it well, the umpire is going to call it, I’m going to rely mostly on the catcher first and then potentially the hitter, “I’ll allow them to do that,”
Shelton: “My initial thought – I don’t know if I should say this – I don’t think pitchers should ever be challenged. I think pitchers think everything is strikes. So I think there will be some strategy – which will probably make some pitchers angry – I think there will be a strategy to it.”
Hinch: “We haven’t gone as far yet to say they don’t. I’ve had some conversations with pitchers who definitely want to do that.
,Date [Skubal] There’s already been a little bit of testing in the All-Star Game. I don’t know whether it’s fortunately or unfortunately, but I think he got it right. This will probably help his case, but we’ll have to think about it until spring comes. And ideally, we’d like to leave it to the catcher. Not because I’m a former catcher, but because of the vantage point and understanding of that strike zone. But I have to work further with some of my people.”
Schafer: “When I got to Triple-A, it was a rule. Because it’s emotional for them.”
Francona: “My guess is most teams wouldn’t allow their pitchers to do that. That would be my guess.”
Murphy: “I don’t think you can do that. I think you have to trust your players. You have 26 active. You have to trust them. You try to educate them, try to give them as much information as possible. We’ll see how it goes.”
