Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman reveals what has surprised him most about MLB’s ABS system

MLB implemented the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system this season after testing it at the minor league level. After many were not entirely sure how well it would operate in the majors, it sounds like there is at least one aspect of the ABS that caught Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman completely by surprise.

Gausman, who is 35 years old, claims that the most surprising thing about the ABS is how involved the fans are with it, according to ESPN. The 14-year veteran noticed fans have seemingly enjoyed getting at the umpires about whether or not their call was correct or not. Gausman initially thought that when the ABS was used during a game, not every fan would even understand what was happening.

“I’d say the thing I’m most surprised about is the fan interaction,” admitted Gasuman. “Seems like the fans really enjoy telling the umpire whether it was a strike or not a strike. So that’s one thing I didn’t really see happening. 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,” continued Gausman. “So, I guess that’s just something that I didn’t expect going in.”

The ABS challenging system seems to be working just fine. It is not a super slow process either, as the game is now slowed down by much, or even at all, when a player calls a challenge. If anything, the fan interaction makes the experience more immersive for those in attendance and watching from home.

Kevin Gausman is a two-time All-Star who has been playing for the Blue Jays since 2022. Through four starts so far this season, Gausman owns a 2.82 ERA and 0.851 WHIP while recording 31 strikeouts (leads the AL).

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