World Series champion John Smoltz warns baseball 'will suffer' if ABS system is applied to all pitches A month into the MLB season, the implementation of the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system has sparked debate among players and analysts. World Series champion John Smoltz, a Hall of Famer and eight-time All-Star, has expressed concerns that expanding the system to cover all pitches could fundamentally alter the game. While Smoltz praised the current challenge system as a "big success," he emphasized his hope that it remains limited to its current format, where teams are allowed two challenges per game. Smoltz, 59, told Fox News Digital that the system has already changed the dynamics of baseball. He argued that the current setup allows for strategic use of challenges without overcomplicating the game. "I like it with two challenges only," he said. "Baseball will suffer and not be the same if it goes to a full-time system. It'll be impossible to hit." His comments reflect broader concerns among players about the potential for the ABS system to reduce human judgment in critical moments, such as determining whether a pitch is a ball or strike. The ABS system, introduced to minimize subjective calls by umpires, has already influenced player behavior. According to Fangraphs, hitters are swinging at 46.9% of pitches this season, down from 47.5% last year, while walk rates have increased to 9.2% from 8.4%. Smoltz attributed these shifts to the system’s impact on both pitchers and batters. He noted that pitchers are struggling to command the ball consistently, leading to more walks and fewer swings. "The swing rate has gone down, the walk rates gone through the roof," he said. "That's a problem, but it's a byproduct of pitchers not being able to command the baseball.#atlanta_braves #mlb #fox_news_digital #john_smoltz #automatic_ball_strike
