{"id":113331,"date":"2026-04-23T14:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/with-walks-at-75-year-high-players-point-to-abs-changes\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:58:10","slug":"with-walks-at-75-year-high-players-point-to-abs-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/with-walks-at-75-year-high-players-point-to-abs-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"With walks at 75-year high, players point to ABS changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Apr 23, 2026, 09:04 AM ET<\/span><\/div>\n

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> closer Paul Sewald<\/a> knows that, in theory, Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike system shouldn’t favor batters or pitchers.<\/p>\n

In practice, he thinks one side has gained an advantage.<\/p>\n

And it’s not the guys throwing the baseball.<\/p>\n

“It’s what [MLB] wanted — people on base,” Sewald said. “Tough time to be a pitcher. Balls flying everywhere, you’ve got a smaller strike zone. But you just go out there and do the best you can.”<\/p>\n

So is Sewald right? It depends on which numbers you want to use, but it sure seems like the strike zone has shrunk.<\/p>\n

Walks have skyrocketed to near historic highs through the season’s first month. There is no direct evidence ABS is the reason for the increase, but as Diamondbacks catcher James McCann<\/a> said: “Of course it is. What other rules have changed?”<\/p>\n