Major League Baseball (MLB) has introduced the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) for the 2026 season. With ABS, teams can challenge pitches they believe were incorrectly called balls or strikes. The majority of respondents in a 2022 Morning Consult poll supported a system with a human umpire making calls and allowing ABS for challenges.
In a weekend game between the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles, we had MLB's first ejection after a walk on balls was overturned.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST EVER ABS RAGE BAIT EJECTION😭 pic.twitter.com/ikhuRHOGlp
— tru (@trumanation_) March 29, 2026
Minnesota's manager, Derek Shelton, believed Orioles pitcher Ryan Helsley didn't challenge the called ball quickly enough, and it showed. Shelton was yelling some not-so-nice words at the umpire.
Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton became the first manager to be ejected over the new Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) system on Sunday in a loss against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Twins were trying to rally in the top of the ninth inning. Minnesota had a runner on first with Josh Bell at the plate going up against Ryan Helsley with one out. It appeared that Helsley threw a 3-2 pitch outside the zone, issuing a walk to Bell, which would have put two runners on base. As Bell walked to first base, Helsley pointed to his head and called for a challenge.
Under the ABS review, the pitch was reversed and called strike three.
Shelton was livid as he came out of the dugout. He argued that Helsley didn’t challenge the pitch quick enough. After a few moments of yelling, Shelton was ejected from the game.
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ABS is not making the game better. https://t.co/fgIzHZLJhT
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 30, 2026
Once again, Democrats take the losing side of the issue.
Democrats don’t want you to have nice things, example 36754456
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) March 30, 2026
Of course they don't.
Yes. It is.
— KatWrap (@katwrappah) March 30, 2026
We all know Democrats love to cheat, that's why you don't like it.
It actually FAIRLY calls balls and strikes.
A foreign concept to you.
Fairness is foreign to Democrats.
Just a super weird politician tbh https://t.co/mH5BMpveT7
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 30, 2026
This is accurate.
He wants the game to be rigged. He doesn’t know any other way. https://t.co/y3IqJ6Rmng
— Jarvis (@jarvis_best) March 30, 2026
Much like our elections, to be honest.
Only person who doesn’t like reviews after first weekend. Democrats are disconnected from reality, in every way. https://t.co/l9VX5BFMqZ
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) March 30, 2026
This writer comes down on the side of supporting ABS as a limited tool for challenges. The human aspect of baseball is what makes it baseball, and she doesn't want the umpires removed entirely (even if they get it wrong sometimes). But yes, Democrats are so out of touch with reality that we have to wonder what color the sky is in their world.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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