ANNOUNCER: ABS powered by T-Mobile.# And a call that was a strike... ANNOUNCER: Low sinker up and in.

ANNOUNCER: ... has been confirmed.

JOHN YANG: That was a bit of baseball history# being made last night in San Francisco,## the first regular season challenge# using Major League Baseball's new## ABS system.

That's Automated Ball-Strike.

In every Major League ballpark now,# new camera technology will track the## precise location of pitches.

Teams can# challenge up to two ball or strike calls## made by an umpire in an nine-inning# game.

It's the start of a new era.

So, on this Opening Day, let's bring in Dan Evans,## a former general manager at the Los Angeles# Dodgers.

He's also had key roles with four## other teams, most recently as a# scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.

So, Dan, help us understand this.# Give us the ABCs of ABS here.## How does this work?

Who can# make a challenge and when?

DAN EVANS, Former General Manager, Los# Angeles Dodgers: First of all, John,## just so we need in our life, another acronym# that we have to .. For the fans, the key thing is, the game is trying# to get it right and working on getting it right## as well as possible.

What this does is, twice# a game, a batter, catcher, or pitcher can ask## within two seconds of a pitch for a clarification,# is the call overruled or does it stand?

There's going to be real alacrity to this.# And I think the key to know for the fans## is that a manager, a coach, someone in the# ballpark can't really influence the batter,## the catcher, or the pitcher to ask for the appeal.

JOHN YANG: It's only those three.

Don't just take some managers# are going to figure .. to get one of those three to make a call?

DAN EVANS: I wouldn't be surprised, but# I think there will be penalties.

What## we have already learned, John, is the# pitchers and the catchers -- actually,## the catchers and the pitchers are# better at this than the hitters are.

So there's already a little bit of peeling# behind the curtain with a brand-new rule.

JOHN YANG: You know, all this brings up# the question, the age-old question of,## what is the strike zone?

I think, over# the years, a lot of players have said## that umpires -- it can vary from umpire to# umpire.

They have personal strike zones.

What does the ABS system say is the strike zone?

DAN EVANS: Well, you're a fan.# You know, John, that there were## hundreds of different interpretations at# the little league level all the way up.## Now they're using a percentile of the player's# height for the top and for the bottom of the zone.

I have the numbers nearby because# they don't just roll off my tongue,## but 55.6 percent of the batter's height and# 24.2 percent of the batter's height are used## as the top and the bottom of the zone.# So, if you crouch, if you get into a## exaggerated stance, like a Rose or a Rickey# Henderson, it could adversely affect you.

But, in reality, what we have is, every player# should be consistently hauled by the ABS system.

JOHN YANG: Now, this system's been used# in spring training for the last two years## and in the minor leagues since I think 2022.# What have players been saying about it?

DAN EVANS: Every player in the big leagues# who's played in the minor leagues has played## under this situation in their career.

So it's not# going to be real new, just like the pitch clock.

The Atlantic League started it in 2019 as an# experiment for Major League Baseball.

This has## been seven or eight years in the works, John.

As# a result, many of the bugs are out.

The players## understand it.

The fans have been overwhelmingly# in favor of it, almost to an 80 percentile rule.

I think what they have done# from a Competition Committee## down is, they have done a good job# tweeting it, making changes that## identify the problems that they had.

I think# the fans will benefit, the game will benefit,## but I think the biggest thing we will see is, we# will see a comprehensive plan for people to use## this system as a strategic move in the first# eight innings and then in the ninth inning.

You mentioned the two challenges.

I# don't think very many people will use## their second challenge before a key# segment of the late part of the game.

JOHN YANG: Well, what has experienced taught us,## or what do we know from it being used# in the minors and in spring training?## How often are calls overturned and when do they# use -- when is it tended -- tend to be used?

DAN EVANS: Around 50 percent of the calls are# overturned.

So, what you believe to be a strike## is probably a better chance of being# a strike if you're the catcher,## a lesser chance if you're the pitcher,# and a much less chance if you're a hitter.

John, what we have learned is that pitchers and# catchers are right about 60 percent of the time.## Hitters are right 45 percent of the# time.

That's a real big difference## in decision-making.

And I think what# you will see is managers put a throttle## on some of the players on their teams and ask# their pitchers to not be the point person and## try to channel their energy into the# catcher, let the catcher make the decision.

I think it's going to be a fascinating thing# to watch in the -- really the first month of## the season as people orient towards it.# And I think it's going to be seamless.## What we have really learned too is, it# doesn't add to the length of the game,## simply because they have been doing it# long enough.

The guys know how to use it.

And the umpires and the people in# stadium are also very good at it too.

JOHN YANG: In the long run, do you see a day# coming where this is the way they call balls## and strikes, that the home plate umpire# will no longer call balls and strikes?

DAN EVANS: No, I sure hope# not.

And I think all the people## that are decision-makers in the game hope not too.

I think this is a happy medium between the way the# game's been umpired since the 1800s to a point now## where it could be full ABS.

I think this is# the compromise, and I think it's a good one.## Umpires are such a great fabric of the game.

They# love the game just as much as you do at home.

And I think the important thing for them is,# we have found out they're right far more than## they're wrong.

We saw that in replay.

And# now we're already seeing it in the ABS.## I think what we have here is a happy# medium that works for everybody involved.

JOHN YANG: Former baseball executive# Dan Evans, thank you very much.

DAN EVANS: Thanks, John.