NEW YORK (AP) — Batters have been more successful on robot umpire challenges in the playoffs than during the regular season, and teams are utilizing the Automated Ball-Strike System more overall in its postseason debut.
Seventy-one of 121 overall challenges under ABS prevailed during the 25 games of the Wild Card Series and Division Series. The 59% success rate was up from 54% during the regular season. That includes an improvement for batters to 57%
(29 of 51) from 49%.
It's not that hitters are necessarily being more conservative, either. Teams are challenging more in the postseason overall, with 4.8 per game compared to 4.3 during the regular season. Batter challenges are up to 2.04 per game from 1.96.
Teams exhaust their challenges when they are unsuccessful twice in the game, so the more times they win appeals the more opportunities they can have.
Catchers had won 60% (42 of 70) of challenges, just above their 59% during the regular season. Pitchers were 1 for 1, with Tampa Bay's Griffin Jax making the only challenge.
“Maybe a little more cautious,” Rays catcher Liam Hicks said. “It’s more just in the back of your head, you’re like, you want to save these for a meaningful situation.”
Among the four teams advancing to the League Championship Series, Cleveland won 7 of 13, Milwaukee 8 of 16, Tampa Bay 3 of 5 (with no tries by batters) and the Dodgers 2 of 6.
Atlanta had the most challenges, winning 14 of 22 over seven games and the White Sox 12 of 31.
Among batters, Milwaukee's Jake Bauers and Atlanta's Austin Riley won both their challenges.
Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox went 0 for 2 and the Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. had the most challenges, splitting on four.
“It’s a new muscle for these guys to instinctually have, so I think if this is the route we go for the next few years guys will get more and more instinctually,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Some guys have been really good and really adept at it early on. Other guys have been more of a work in progress. Some guys have struggled with it.”
Braves catcher Sean Murphy was 4 for 4 and the Phillies' J.T. Realmuto won 5 of 6. Realmuto had the first game-ending ABS challenge in postseason history in Game 2 of Philadelphia's Wild Card Series against Atlanta.
Kyle Teel of the White Sox had the most challenges, winning 8 of 12, and the Guardians' Patrick Bailey was second, succeeding on just 4 of 10. The Brewers' William Contreras won 4 of 9.
“Some of the first-inning challenges, 1-0 counts, it’s like, let’s let those go and save them for when we might need them later in the game," Realmuto said. “With that being said, we have a lot of guys that know the strike zone really well.”
Just 17 challenges were defined by Statcast as in high-leverage situations, and eight of 17 were successful.
“You’ve got to be careful trying to script it or dictate the perfect situation for it. You don’t know what it’s going to lead to, even if it’s early," Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “My message has always been, the lower the leverage, the more certainty you need to have and vice versa. But at the end of the day, trust your eyes.”
Among 25 umpires who worked the first two rounds, four had perfect rates and were confirmed on all challenges. Tripp Gibson, James Hoye, Nic Lentz and Gabe Morales all were challenged twice and confirmed twice.
Lance Barrett was overturned on 10 of 12 challenges during Milwaukee's Game 2 Division Series victory over San Diego and Adam Beck on seven of 10 during Philadelphia's Game 2 Wild Card Series win over Atlanta.
Roberto Ortiz was overturned on 6 of 9, Jansen Visconti and Todd Tichenor on 4 of 7, Shane Livensparger on 5 of 6, Cory Blaser and Chris Guccione on 4 of 5 and Alex MacKay on 4 of 6.
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