Major League Baseball tested out a new challenge system for balls and strikes in spring training, but New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was not a fan.
Boone told the “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast that he “hated” the system. The Yankee manager found most of the challenges pointless and thinks one will inevitably change the outcome of a game, and also argued that MLB umpires are better than they have ever been.
“I just honestly hated it. Just the frivolous 1-0 challenge in the second inning, stop the game. Boom, oh, it changes. Now it’s not 1-1, it’s 2-0,” Boone said. “Inevitably, you’re going to have the last play of the game, a big win overturned on a ball an inch one way or the other.
“I’m the guy that gets kicked out and argues the strike zone and everything. I really think our umpires are as good as they’ve ever been. They keep getting better. We just know when they miss by an inch. I’m all over you when you’re missing by an inch. But the reality is they’re getting better and better all the time, and I don’t think I want it.”
Aaron Boone hates the ABS challenge system pic.twitter.com/16HdsD9NNY
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 25, 2025
Boone’s stance is a bit surprising. As he alluded to, he is notorious for his animated arguments with umpires over ball and strike calls. One would imagine he would be in favor of anything to get close calls correct, but in this instance, he believes things should be left alone, even if it means he has to get kicked out of a game once in a while.
During the spring training testing, calls were generally reviewed quite quickly and did not significantly interrupt the flow of the game. Some umpires even had some fun with the whole thing. It would be one thing if the game had to be paused for a minute or two to look at a call, but that was never the case.
Boone may not like the ABS system, but a test of a new rule like this is usually a prelude to that rule being implemented later on. The system will not appear during the 2025 season, but it could be added for 2026.
