MLB’s rollout of the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system has been in long time coming, but there’s going to be an adjustment period for some players. Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh is among those who needed a game to get used to the new technology, as he failed to challenge a key call late in the Mariners’ 6-4 loss on Opening Day.
The call came in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the Mariners trailing by a run, Raleigh was called out on strikes on a slider well outside the zone. While Raleigh had the option to challenge the pitch, he declined to do it.
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After the game, he said he regretted that decision.
Raleigh’s lack of challenge was a surprise for multiple reasons. For one, it was extremely late in the game and the Mariners still had both their challenges. That felt like the opportune time to take advantage of the new rule, which allows a team to retain its challenge if it’s successful. After not using an ABS challenge the entire game, Raleigh had very little to lose by using one in the bottom of the eighth inning. If he was wrong, the team still had one more challenge heading into the ninth.
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Additionally, Raleigh didn’t have a great Opening Day. The MVP runner-up went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Given those struggles, it was a surprise that Raleigh didn’t immediately challenge the pitch. He had to be frustrated with his performance going into the at-bat and was likely even more upset following the bad strike call. It would be hard to blame him for simply challenging the pitch out of frustration.
That didn’t happen, and the Mariners may have paid for it. While there’s no guarantee a successful challenge would have altered the outcome of the game — especially after Cleveland Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter extended the lead with a solo home run in the ninth — Raleigh missed an opportunity to keep a key at-bat alive.
Raleigh mentioned that some players will need to get “more accustomed” to the challenge system as the year goes on, but he should be at that point by now. MLB allowed players to use the ABS system in each of the last two spring trainings and at the 2025 All-Star Game, in which Raleigh took part.
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Following Thursday’s call, Raleigh will likely be far more aggressive with his ability to challenge pitches moving forward. If anyone on the team should feel empowered to make that decision, it should be the guy who clubbed 60 home runs last season.