Paul Skenes, More MLB Players Weigh In on ABS Rule Change, Pitch Potential Tweaks to System

Three weeks into the MLB regular season and new ABS challenge system, players are largely satisfied with how it operates and efficiency of the tool during games.

Paul Skenes, Kevin Gausman and a group of players spoke to ESPN's Jorge Castillo, Alden Gonzalez and Jesse Rogers about their initial takeaways from the challenge system at the MLB level.

One thing Skenes pointed out is how balanced it seems the results have been thus far.

"It's pretty cool. I don't think it's been super one-sided where the pitchers are getting a lot more than the hitters. It feels right so far," said Skenes.

Entering play on Wednesday, 54 percent of 1,029 total challenges have been overturned. The results for non-hitters has been stronger, with a 60 percent success rate on challenges. Hitters are slightly below average at 47 percent.

Gausman and Los Angeles Angels catcher Travis d'Arnaud both explained how they have been entertained by the response from fans in the stadiums when an umpire's call is proven correct.

Here is how d'Arnaud spoke about the system:

"I think it's been entertaining. I think when umpires get it right, it's got to make 'em feel good. Because I know a lot of articles have been about, 'What if they get it wrong? They'll get embarrassed.' But when they get it right, it's really cool too. In real time, being behind the plate, it's harder than it looks on TV ... I can't tell if it's a strike or not, because I'm set up here. On TV, they're like, 'Why didn't they challenge it?' It's harder in real time."

Gausman pointed out the "fan interaction" when the result shows up on the jumbotron has "surprised" him:

"I just thought it would be just a quiet moment that not many fans would even understand what's going on, but they're into it. And I didn't realize how tough it is on those guys to kind of hear 30-plus thousand people know you maybe did your job wrong, I guess, on that pitch. So I guess that's just something that I didn't expect going in."

As for potential changes or tweaks to the system, Skenes is largely satisfied with how it is: "The strike zone is the strike zone. A tenth of an inch inside the zone is still a strike. I wouldn't change anything."

There were, however, some pitchers who offered ideas that would make sense for MLB to at least consider.

Chicago Cubs reliever Hoby Miler would like to see the league take full advantage of the technology available.

"I would make it a three-dimensional plate," Milner said. "I don't like it being one thin line. If we have the technology to do it on one line I have a feeling we can do it on the whole three-dimensional thing."

MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince pointed out MLB did initially test using a three-dimensional zone, but it resulted in inconsistent strike calls with breaking pitches.

Mark Leiter Jr. of the Athletics suggested that the starting pitcher should get one challenge, the entire bullpen gets a total of one challenge when they are called upon.

Leiter also pointed out pitchers are at a disadvantage when trying to challenge because they are further away from the plate than either the catcher or hitter, so it's "hard to see the zone" from their perspective and the way a catcher frames a pitch could add to the difficulty for pitchers trying to determine whether or not to issue a challenge.

In fact, New York Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn said he will "never" call for a challenge because it's easier for the catcher to discern whether or not to do so given where they are positioned.

Blackburn noted there is no directive from the Yankees staff about whether or not pitchers should challenge, but it does seem like enough of them are aware enough to trust their catchers.

Of the 1,029 challenges thus far, only 21 have been initiated by pitchers. No pitcher has more than one challenge. The success rate is 47.6 percent, which is slightly higher than hitters (46.9 percent) even though hitters have a much larger sample size.