Since baseball has existed, umpires have been missing calls. It has only been recently that we've had the technology to see how egregious some of the missed ball and strike calls are. Now, Major League Baseball has finally caved to the pressure and will be instituting an Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) beginning in 2026, the league announced on Tuesday, per Anthony Castrovince.
How does this affect the Philadelphia Phillies with starting catcher J.T. Realmuto a free agent after the season? The 34-year-old Realmuto will be looking to secure another contract this winter, whether with the Phillies or elsewhere.
Does MLB's announcement influence his value?
In theory, yes.
ABS challenge system should help negate J.T. Realmuto's poor pitch framing skills
While Realmuto has many positive skills and attributes behind the plate, pitch framing isn't one of them. It's a skill that teams covet on defense, but it's something that he struggles with. ABS will help catchers like Realmuto who have difficulties framing pitches.
Realmuto ranks 52nd in the majors this season with -9 catcher framing runs, as measured by Statcast. For comparison, the San Francisco Giants' Patrick Bailey ranks first with +25 catcher framing runs, while the Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk (+14) and the New York Yankees' Austin Wells (+11) round out the top three.
There will still be a need for pitch framing (batters can't challenge every call), but perhaps not as much as there is currently. ABS taking away this advantage for some means that one of Realmuto's weaknesses will be somewhat negated next season, regardless of where he plays.
That might make him even more valuable for teams looking for a catcher this winter, especially with his early success during spring training navigating the ABS system. Realmuto went 2-for-2 in challenges during the first Grapefruit League game he played with the challenge system being trialed.
He also still ranks as the top backstop in controlling the running game, leading the league with a 1.85-second pop time. He's tied for the fourth-highest caught stealing above average with +6.
Finishing his seventh season in Philadelphia, Realmuto has had a down year offensively, but when he's hot he can carry the lineup. Heading into Tuesday he's batting a respectable .260 with a .710 OPS, 12 home runs and 52 RBIs and seven steals.
The Phillies will be hard-pressed to find a replacement for Realmuto, so you can expect them to make a competitive offer for his services, no matter what rules MLB is using next season. Hopefully he's challenging balls and strikes in red pinstripes.