Connect with us

Published

on

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball teams won 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges during the spring training test of robot umpires, and catchers had a markedly better success rate than pitchers.

Major League Baseball said Wednesday that 617 of 1,182 challenges were successful in the 288 exhibition games using the Automated Ball-Strike System.

Batters won exactly 50% of their 596 challenges and the defense 54%, with catchers successful 56% of the time and pitchers 41%.

Teams challenged 2.6% of called pitches; offense asked for computer reviews of 4.4% and the defense 1.8%.

ABS was installed at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams, and an animation of the pitch was displayed on video boards showing spectators the challenge result.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says robot umpires could be used as early as the 2026 regular season but feedback from players and teams needs to be gathered and analyzed before a decision is made.

During the 2024 regular season, 10.9% of called pitches in the strike zone were ruled balls and 6.3% of called pitches outside of the strike zone were ruled strikes, according to MLB Statcast.

Challenges averaged 4.1 per game. The overturn rate was slightly higher than the 50.6% for minor league games with the ABS last year.

A challenge averaged 13.8 seconds, down from 16.6 at Triple-A.

Teams used the most challenges (6.9%) with a full count, but they were successful just 44% of the time. While just 1.9% of first pitches were challenged, the success rate was 57%.

Challenges were made more often earlier in the game; 2.8% of called pitches were challenged in the first three innings, 2.6% in the middle innings, 2.3% in the seventh and eighth and 2.4% in the ninth. The overturn rate declined from 57% in the third three innings to 49% in the middle innings, then was 50% in the seventh and eighth, and 41% in the ninth.

Continue Reading

Sports

Greene returning to Reds rotation for playoff push

Published

on

By

Greene returning to Reds rotation for playoff push

Hunter Greene will return to the Cincinnati Reds‘ rotation Wednesday night.

The right-hander will start against visiting Philadelphia after being out since June 4 with a strained right groin. The same injury sidelined Greene for two weeks in May.

Greene is 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 11 starts this season. The 26-year-old was selected to the All-Star Game last year for the first time.

In three rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville, Greene allowed 11 runs in 11 innings.

Cincinnati (61-57) entered Sunday 2½ games behind the New York Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Phillies call up Robertson, 40, for bullpen assist

Published

on

By

Phillies call up Robertson, 40, for bullpen assist

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Philadelphia Phillies recalled 40-year-old reliever David Robertson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday, three weeks after he signed a free agent deal with the National League East leaders.

Robertson made six relief appearances with Lehigh Valley and had a 10.13 ERA, though he had four scoreless outings. He struck out six, walked one and allowed 11 hits and six runs in 5⅓ innings.

The Phillies made the move before their series finale at Texas, where Robertson was 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 68 games last season.

Right-hander Alan Rangel was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster.

Over his 16-year major league career, Robertson has a 2.91 ERA in 861 games, all but one of those in relief. This is his third stint with the Phillies, first as a free agent before the 2019 season and then after being acquired in a trade from the Chicago Cubs in 2022. He played nine seasons with the Yankees over two different times in New York, which drafted him in the 17th round of the 2006 amateur draft.

Continue Reading

Sports

Ohtani hits 40-HR mark for 4th time in career

Published

on

By

Ohtani hits 40-HR mark for 4th time in career

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run of the season Saturday night in the fifth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 9-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ohtani hit a solo shot 417 feet to center off starter Chris Bassitt to give the Dodgers a three-run lead.

“That was one of those swings where he was behind the ball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He stayed into the ground. I know he and the hitting guys have been working on some things mechanically. That was as good of a swing as you’re going to see.”

Ohtani was not made available to the media.

The two-way Japanese star reached 40 homers for the fourth time in his career — and the third straight season — after winning MVP awards in each of the previous three years he did it.

He is the third player with multiple 40-HR seasons in the American League and National League, joining Jim Thome and Mark McGwire.

He did it this time in his 115th game, the fewest needed to reach the mark in a season in Dodgers history.

With 45 regular-season games left, Roberts was asked if he thought Ohtani could reach 55.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Roberts said. “Guys like Shohei always look for something to motivate them. He likes round numbers. I know 50 is on his radar. We’ll see how it goes.”

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Trending