Max Scherzer is not a fan of the ABS challenge system

Max Scherzer is not a fan of the ABS challenge system

Major League Baseball is testing out the ABS Challenge system that was in the minor leagues last season in Spring Training. It won’t be implemented until the 2026 regular season, at the earliest. First-year Blue Jays pitcher and longtime MLB veteran Max Scherzer was asked about the system on Tuesday, and his response indicated he couldn’t care less for it.

“I’m a little skeptical on this,” Scherzer said, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic. “I get what we’re trying to do here, but I think major-league umpires are really good. They’re really good. So what are we actually changing here? We know there are going to be strikes that are changed to balls, and balls that are changed to strikes.. So we’re going to basically be even. So are we actually going to improve the game? Are the umpires really that bad? I don’t think so.”

“Can we just play baseball? … We’re humans. Can we just be judged by humans? Do we really need to disrupt the game? I think humans are defined by humans.”

Max Scherzer on ABS system: “Can we just be judged by humans?”

— Underdog MLB (@Underdog__MLB) February 25, 2025

Ironically enough, Scherzer tested out the new system in his spring debut Tuesday. He tried to drop a curveball against St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt, and it did not fool the home plate ump as well as ABS.

Alejandro Kirk's framing is so smooth…

It fooled Max Scherzer. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/GS23roDLUh

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 25, 2025

He also had a first-inning challenge against Lars Nootbaar that wasn’t ruled in his favor, either. You can’t help but assume that it may have played a part in his answer.

The three-time CY Young veteran struck out four while allowing just one run in his two-inning stint Tuesday. He tossed 34 pitches–20 for strikes–in the Blue Jays’ 3-2 win.

Why MLB should fully implement ABS challenge system in 2026

Each team gets two challenges per game and can keep the challenge if deemed successful; only the pitcher, catcher and batter can call the challenge. It’s a very simple process that takes less than 15-20 to decide–as opposed to the minutes-long challenges that eat up time and kill the pace of play in the NBA or NFL, for example.

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