CPBL's First ABS Challenger Shares Experience

The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is continuing its testing of the ABS electronic ball-strike system after the All-Star break, with a recent game between the CTBC Brothers and Wei Chuan Dragons' minor league teams marking a significant milestone. On July 21, the league officially implemented the ABS system, granting each team two challenge opportunities per game, mirroring Major League Baseball rules. Importantly, regardless of the challenge outcome, the original call will not be overturned.

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That was a curveball, and some catchers might adjust their mitt positioning. I saw the location of that pitch and thought there might be a chance. My understanding was that it was still a ball, but I wanted to test how much difference there was.

During the game, Wei Chuan Dragons starting pitcher Tseng Jen-Ho became the first player in CPBL history to utilize a challenge. In the second inning, facing batter Huang Chun-Lin, Tseng challenged a ball call on a pitch. Although he ultimately lost the challenge, it marked a historic moment for the league's adoption of the technology. Conversely, Brothers catcher Chen Chiu-Teng later became the first player to successfully win an ABS challenge in the CPBL.

Tseng, who is scheduled to start for the Brothers' main team against the Fubon Guardians, shared his thoughts on the ABS challenge system prior to the game. He explained that the pitch in question was a curveball, and some catchers might adjust their mitt positioning to influence the umpire's call. Tseng admitted that while he suspected the pitch was a ball, he wanted to test the system to see how close the call was.

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When I saw the result, I realized how big the difference was. Once ABS is fully implemented, pitches like that probably won't be challenged anymore.

"When I saw the result, I realized how big the difference was," Tseng said. "Once ABS is fully implemented, pitches like that probably won't be challenged anymore." He also humorously noted that he had another pitch later in the game that he believed could have been overturned, but the coaching staff advised him to save the challenge for the hitters. Tseng added that while he believes the ABS system might not significantly impact his own performance due to his less precise control compared to his past, it could be more influential for batters. He also discussed the system with teammate "Magic" Johnson, believing it would be even more beneficial for pitchers with excellent control.

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Actually, we pitchers should focus on throwing the ball into the strike zone. It's more suitable to leave the judgment of balls and strikes to the catcher. In the future, unless I really want to challenge, I'll only initiate it myself.