New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero became the first player to initiate a challenge under Major League Baseball's Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) during the Yankees' 7-0 season-opening win over the San Francisco Giants on March 25, 2026, at Oracle Park in San Francisco.[1]
The challenge occurred in the fourth inning with the Yankees leading 5-0. Caballero signaled by tapping his helmet after home plate umpire Bill Miller called a strike on a 90.7 mph sinker from Giants starter Logan Webb. The ABS review, powered by 12 Hawk-Eye cameras, upheld the call.[1]
Caballero went 1-for-4 with an RBI double that scored Giancarlo Stanton for the first run of the 2026 MLB season in the second inning.[1]
"Nope, I wanted to go for it," Caballero said. He supported the system despite the unsuccessful challenge: "I think it's really good, keep everyone accountable."[1]
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the team has emphasized challenge strategy in discussions with players. Teams receive two challenges per game, retaining them on successful reviews.[1]
Oracle Park has been the Giants' home since 2000.[2] The ABS challenge system, agreed upon by MLB and the players' association, uses Hawk-Eye technology and began in the 2025 regular season.[3][4]
The Yankees (1-0) host the Giants (0-1) again on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 4:35 p.m. ET.[1]
Sources
- Fox News, New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero made MLB history Wednesday, March 25, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- MLB.com, Oracle Park Information, accessed March 2026, https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark
- MLB.com, MLB, MLBPA agree to pitch challenge system in 2025, September 20, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mlbpa-agree-to-pitch-challenge-system-in-2025
- ESPN, MLB to use challenge system with automated ball-strike in 2025, September 20, 2024, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41684594/mlb-introduce-automated-ball-strike-challenge-system-2025-sources-say
