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Twins Learning to Navigate Strike-Zone Challenges: ‘I Was a Little Bit Nervous’

On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the Minnesota Twins used the Automatic-Ball Strike Challenge System four times during their season opener against the Baltimore Orioles, successfully overturning three of the four calls.
The ABS Challenge System permits players to challenge pitch calls immediately after they occur; teams receive two challenges per nine-inning game and retain the opportunity if their appeal succeeds.
Matt Wallner overturned a strike call into a ball in the first inning, while Josh Bell and Ryan Jeffers also successfully challenged strike calls during the game.
Manager Derek Shelton indicated pitchers will not challenge calls, as catcher Ryan Jeffers noted that catchers possess superior perspective for identifying pitch inaccuracies.
As players adapt to the system, Jeffers believes the challenge mechanism will ultimately reveal umpire accuracy, saying, "the challenge system is going to show the world how good the umpires actually are.

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Challenge system is a challenge for Twins

BALTIMORE — Matt Wallner looked at a pitch from Trevor Rogers that was above the strike zone, reached up and tapped his helmet. That simple action triggered a review, which appeared on the Oriole Park at Camden Yards scoreboard. An outline of the strike zone appeared, followed by a graphic showing the pitch itself. Hawk-Eye tracking technology showed that Wallner’s instincts were right — the pitch was 2.1 inches above the zone. Home plate umpire…

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