The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Catchers still have two distinct jobs under MLB’s 2026 Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System: receive pitches in a way that gives the umpire a clear, controlled look, and recognize when an incorrect called ball is valuable enough to challenge. Statcast scores framing from the umpire’s initial call and tracks the change after a challenge separately, so a successful challenge does not erase the framing result.
Why framing still matters with ABS
Framing is the way a catcher receives and presents a pitch to the umpire. MLB Statcast defines it as receiving a pitch in a way that makes a strike call more likely, either by gaining a borderline strike or by avoiding the loss of a strike through poor presentation. Under ABS, that receiving skill and the ability to challenge an incorrect call are measured separately.
That distinction matters in practice. A catcher can present a pitch well and still get a ball call; a challenge can correct that call, but it is not evidence that the catcher framed it well. Conversely, a strong framing record does not establish that the catcher will recognize which calls ABS will overturn.
What the 2026 ABS Challenge System changes
MLB introduced the ABS Challenge System for the 2026 season. Hawk-Eye tracks the pitch against the individual batter’s strike zone. Baseball Savant’s documentation defines the top of the zone as 53.5% of the batter’s measured height without cleats and the bottom as 27%; pitch location is measured above the middle of home plate, not its front edge. The zone is batter-specific, so it is not one fixed rectangle for every hitter.
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- Each team begins with two challenges. A successful challenge is retained; a confirmed call costs the team a challenge.
- MLB’s rules explainer describes additional challenge availability in extra innings for a team that starts an inning with no challenges.
- Only the batter, pitcher or catcher may initiate a challenge. The player taps the cap or helmet; saying “challenge” is encouraged, but the tap is the official signal.
- The result appears on the stadium board and broadcast.
A challenge opportunity is not necessarily a good challenge. It means a rule-eligible called pitch went against the team while a challenge remained. Swings, calls that went the team’s way, a team with no challenges left, position players pitching and technical interruptions are among the exclusions. Baseball Savant’s 2026 documentation says roughly 50% of pitches were challenge opportunities, while roughly 5% met its narrower definition of “reasonable pitches.” Those figures use MLB’s documented definitions.
How to improve receiving and presentation
Start with a relaxed, controlled hand
Little League’s Catching 101 guidance recommends a relaxed glove hand, little glove and body movement, and getting to the pitch’s location early rather than stabbing at it or making a conspicuous late movement. Its coaching summary is: “The less movement with the glove and the body, the better a pitch will look, as if it’s thrown directly to the target.” Treat this as a coaching cue, not a universal glove-path formula. A catcher’s setup should account for their body, mobility, equipment and a coach’s assessment.
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Practice receiving pitches in varied locations
MLB’s account of the Twins’ catcher-development program described machine-thrown pitches at different locations, with positioning and each catcher’s strengths taken into account. Varied locations give a catcher practice arriving at the ball under different conditions rather than repeating one fixed glove path.
Use feedback drills only with suitable coaching
The Twins program also described gently tossed weighted balls received with bare hands and resistance bands used to reinforce certain movements. These are examples from one professional organization, not a proven prescription for every catcher. The account does not establish a safe load or dosage for all ages, or show that the drills improve challenge accuracy. A qualified coach should decide whether a drill and its load suit the player.
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Review game outcomes by location and context
Statcast’s zone breakdowns and called-strike rates can help identify repeatable strengths and misses. When the sample permits, compare by pitch type, pitcher handedness, batter side and month. Look at difficult strikes gained and potential strikes lost, rather than attributing every umpire decision to the catcher or relying only on a season total.
When a catcher should challenge a called ball
A pitch being close is not enough to make a challenge worthwhile. Baseball Savant’s documented confidence framework weighs the count, outs and runners through situation run value. Its example says a situation worth 0.3 runs has a 40% breakeven confidence point for a challenge. That is an illustration of the model, not a universal coaching threshold.
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- Check eligibility. Confirm it was a called pitch, the call went against your team and a challenge remains.
- Recall the pitch and the hitter’s zone. Consider where the pitch crossed the plate and the batter-specific zone; do not judge only by how close the glove looked to the target.
- Account for the game state. Consider the count, outs and runners, since correcting the same call can have different run value in different situations.
- Challenge promptly when confidence justifies it. Use the cap or helmet tap as the formal signal. Agree with the coaching staff on communication and video procedures; clubs may not use their own ball-tracking systems for challenges.
How to assess framing and challenge skill separately
Use separate measures for receiving and decisions. MLB Statcast provides zone-level called-strike rates and framing runs for takes. Its ABS metrics include challenge rate and context-adjusted expected challenges. A raw challenge percentage alone can mislead because it does not account for how many eligible calls a player faced or whether those calls were valuable to challenge.
| Skill | What to review | Useful comparisons |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving and framing | Called-strike rates and framing runs on taken pitches; difficult strikes gained and potential strikes lost. | Zone location, pitch type, pitcher hand, batter side and month, where sample sizes allow. |
| Challenge decisions | Challenge rate among eligible opportunities, overturn or success rate, and context-adjusted expected challenges. | Call location, count, outs, runners and challenges remaining. |
Keep the measures distinct when comparing players or tracking progress. For example, MLB reported that catcher Patrick Bailey had +25 framing runs and Edgar Quero had -13 in 2025; those season figures describe framing, not ABS challenge ability. Statcast’s current leaderboard glossary uses 0.125 runs per strike as the conversion basis for framing runs, a convention rather than a guaranteed value for any individual catcher.
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- Train the Strike Zone with Purpose – The Keyhole Training Mitt features a specialized pocket trap design that helps catchers develop pocket awareness and improve glove presentation throughout the receiving process.
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What challenge results do—and do not—show
Challenge success rates provide context, not a shortcut for judging a catcher’s receiving. MLB’s 2025 analysis reported that fielders—pitchers and catchers combined in that Triple-A dataset—succeeded on nearly 55% of challenges, compared with 45% for hitters. Early 2026 Spring Training figures were 55% for fielders and 48% for hitters; those are spring figures, not regular-season results. MLB cautioned that minor-league players and umpires are not a one-to-one proxy for MLB. Its examples of two MLB catchers with similar 2025 framing results but different Triple-A challenge accuracy also show why one skill should not be treated as a proxy for the other.
An Associated Press report published October 2, 2026 said ABS overturned 54% of challenged calls in MLB’s first ABS season and that catchers were substantially more successful than batters. This is a season-level result reported on that date; it does not predict a particular catcher’s success or show that a framing technique caused it.
Framing can matter to the count before any challenge occurs. MLB’s 2025 example puts a hitter’s OPS at .806 after a 1-0 count and .607 after an 0-1 count. Those are MLB’s example figures for those counts, not a guarantee about the outcome of any individual pitch.
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