It doesn't sound like the automated strike zone is coming to Major League Baseball in 2025, but whenever it eventually reaches a deployable form, it's likely to look like the challenge system that's currently implemented at the Triple-A level.
Manfred spoke to reporters about several topics -- Oakland's attempt to move to Las Vegas and Nike's uniform problems were a couple others -- but pertinent to a post regarding the minor leagues, he explained that shifting to an entirely ABS-driven system would alter the development of catchers:
“It’s the unintended consequences of ABS,” Manfred said. “The one that is often pointed to, but not the only one, is the framing catcher. I think that the players feel that a catcher that frames is, if you’ll let me use the word, ‘art,’ of the game.
“And that if, in fact, framing is no longer important, the kind of players that would occupy that position might be different than they are today. And you could hypothesize a world where instead of a framing catcher, who’s focused on defense, the catching position becomes a more offensive player. I mean, that alters peoples’ careers. Those are real, legitimate concerns that we need to think all the way through before we jump off that bridge.”
This does seem like a valid concern in a world where most minor-league parks wouldn't be outfitted with ABS technology, because the catcher who's perfect for Triple-A and above might be a huge detriment to his pitchers along the way, while a catcher who's valued by lower-level coaches for making life easier for guys throwing to him suddenly becomes deprioritized.
Nashville 4, Charlotte 3
- Colson Montgomery went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Lenyn Sosa, 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Oscar Colás was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
Birmingham 7, Biloxi 2
- Terrell Tatum went 0-for-4 with two walks and a strikeout.
- Jacob Gonzalez was 2-for-5 with a double and a strikeout.
- Brooks Baldwin, 2-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Edgar Quero was 0-for-3 with two walks.
- Tim Elko, 1-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts.
- Wilfred Veras went 1-for-5 with a strikeout, and was caught stealing.
- Jacob Burke was 2-for-4 with a walk, and 1-for-2 on the basepaths.
- Drew Thorpe: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 60 of 92 pitches for strikes.
Bowling Green 2, Winston-Salem 0
- Loidel Chapelli went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Eddie Park was 1-for-4 with a stolen base.
- Calvin Harris, 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Wes Kath was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
- Samuel Zavala went 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Juan Carela: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 52 of 84 pitches for strikes.
- Shane Drohan: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 12 of 21 pitches for strikes.
ACL D-backs 9, ACL White Sox 4
- Luis Robert Jr. went 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Adrian Gil went 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout.
- Stiven Flores was 1-for-4 with a K.
- Erick Hernandez went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
