As Major League Baseball (MLB) tests the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system during spring training, player opinions are emerging.

After his first appearance with the Toronto Blue Jays, Max Scherzer expressed skepticism about the ABS system. “I believe major league umpires are really good at their jobs. What are we actually changing? There will be strikes called balls and vice versa, so are we improving the game?” he told The Athletic.

During a lively discussion with Jayson Stark from The Athletic, Scherzer grew frustrated with the system, ultimately delivering a memorable quote.

“Can we just play baseball?” Scherzer asked. “We’re humans. Can we just be judged by humans? Do we really need to disrupt the game? I think humans are defined by humans.”

Max Scherzer – Baseball Reference

Scherzer acknowledged that he understands the intentions behind the initiative but expressed skepticism about achieving the league’s desired outcomes.

MLB has been experimenting with ABS in the minor leagues since 2021. It will be interesting to see how the league reacts to the feedback it gets from the utilization of the system this spring.

More content below:

Peter

See Full Bio