dailyloe.com – Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the New York Yankees, has struggled with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system this season. After a recent game against the Houston Astros, he acknowledged his poor performance by fining himself $1,000 for bad challenges. This self-imposed fine comes as he has only successfully challenged one out of seven calls.
During a game on Sunday, April 26, 2026, Chisholm challenged a called strike that ABS upheld. The pitch from Spencer Arrighetti was determined to be completely inside the strike zone. In a previous game against the Astros, he also challenged a third strike called on a fastball from Bryan Abreu, which was shown to be fully in the lower middle of the zone.
Chisholm’s misjudgment on these calls has drawn attention, especially since he was surprised by the ABS ruling on a pitch that was clearly in the strike zone. After the game, he took the opportunity to laugh at himself, given that the Yankees won by eight runs.
In addition to his self-fine, the Yankees have a team policy that fines players $500 for poor challenges. Chisholm decided to double that fine as a way to hold himself accountable. Reserve catcher J.C. Escarra, who has a better track record with challenges, commented, “If it’s a whole ball in the zone, you should know it’s a strike.” Escarra has succeeded in three out of four challenges.
Chisholm is not alone in facing challenges with the ABS system. Shortstop José Caballero has also struggled, losing five of his ten challenges. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has had “firm” discussions with Caballero regarding his challenges. Boone noted that players who consistently fail with ABS challenges might lose the ability to dispute calls, though no player has reached that point yet.
In Major League Baseball, teams are permitted only two challenges per game. Successful reviews allow teams to retain their challenges, but poor challenges can negatively impact gameplay. As players adapt to the ABS system, the Yankees will continue to monitor their performance in making calls.
