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Absolut wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:53 am Can’t wait for Angel Hernandez to eject the automated system from a game.

When MCarp was at his peak walk taking, he took called 3rd strike on pitches that were balls more than any player in the league, a couple seasons in a row.

It won’t help Gorman and walker when they take fast balls down the middle or swing at pitches way out of the zone

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:58 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:53 am I. Hererra if he's truly going to be catching since his framing skills were on the low side.

Watched Herrera use the ABS system a lot in Memphis. He was actually very good at when to use it/when not to for his team. The team also had set times when a player could/could not challenge.

Thx for sharing C4L, I think this ABS system could help him but the real issue w/Ivan behind the plate (of course) is his lack of a throwing arm.

Let's hope the surgery clean-up and some better coaching makes him at least league average nabbing base runners or teams will steal him blind......again.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:37 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:58 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:53 am I. Hererra if he's truly going to be catching since his framing skills were on the low side.

Watched Herrera use the ABS system a lot in Memphis. He was actually very good at when to use it/when not to for his team. The team also had set times when a player could/could not challenge.

Thx for sharing C4L, I think this ABS system could help him but the real issue w/Ivan behind the plate (of course) is his lack of a throwing arm.

Let's hope the surgery clean-up and some better coaching makes him at least league average nabbing base runners or teams will steal him blind......again.

I'm ever the optimist, Rock! My 3 guys who will surprise are:

1.) Herrera
2.) Saggese
3.) Church

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:46 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:37 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:58 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:53 am I. Hererra if he's truly going to be catching since his framing skills were on the low side.

Watched Herrera use the ABS system a lot in Memphis. He was actually very good at when to use it/when not to for his team. The team also had set times when a player could/could not challenge.

Thx for sharing C4L, I think this ABS system could help him but the real issue w/Ivan behind the plate (of course) is his lack of a throwing arm.

Let's hope the surgery clean-up and some better coaching makes him at least league average nabbing base runners or teams will steal him blind......again.

I'm ever the optimist, Rock! My 3 guys who will surprise are:

1.) Herrera
2.) Saggese
3.) Church

You know I agree w/# 1, hope you're right (and I'm wrong) on #'s 2 & 3.

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:46 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:37 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:58 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:53 am I. Hererra if he's truly going to be catching since his framing skills were on the low side.

Watched Herrera use the ABS system a lot in Memphis. He was actually very good at when to use it/when not to for his team. The team also had set times when a player could/could not challenge.

Thx for sharing C4L, I think this ABS system could help him but the real issue w/Ivan behind the plate (of course) is his lack of a throwing arm.

Let's hope the surgery clean-up and some better coaching makes him at least league average nabbing base runners or teams will steal him blind......again.

I'm ever the optimist, Rock! My 3 guys who will surprise are:

1.) Herrera
2.) Saggese
3.) Church

And Pallante- haha. Best joke of the day.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:59 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:46 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 10:37 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:58 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:53 am I. Hererra if he's truly going to be catching since his framing skills were on the low side.

Watched Herrera use the ABS system a lot in Memphis. He was actually very good at when to use it/when not to for his team. The team also had set times when a player could/could not challenge.

Thx for sharing C4L, I think this ABS system could help him but the real issue w/Ivan behind the plate (of course) is his lack of a throwing arm.

Let's hope the surgery clean-up and some better coaching makes him at least league average nabbing base runners or teams will steal him blind......again.

I'm ever the optimist, Rock! My 3 guys who will surprise are:

1.) Herrera
2.) Saggese
3.) Church

You know I agree w/# 1, hope you're right (and I'm wrong) on #'s 2 & 3.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 05:16 am Good morning.

Walker. I bet that name was most here first thought. Then Gorman.

Mt bet is on JJ. He has a mastery of the zone as it exists with umpires. Being novel, in its first year, he will master it from the get go, and might be even a better hitter.

Walker. Chases the outside slider. Will he adapt to the zone and lay off.

Gorman. Will he master and lay off the high stuff.

Dark hirses- Winn and Scott. Just imagine if their walks increase and hard hit ball rage increases.

Who best benefits from ABS.

I would say Noot - Walker and Gorman will still be wailing away at junk

rage-STL wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 07:59 am

Absolut wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 05:30 am Unless it operates like pitch com and whispers “jordan don’t swing” it’s not helping with the chasing sliders problem.

I remember Bader having a huge issue chasing sliders down and away. It took him a while to get it corrected, hopefully JW can get there.

Bader had his highest strikeout total last year.

Absolut wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:19 am

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:06 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:03 am

rage-STL wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 07:59 am

Absolut wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 05:30 am Unless it operates like pitch com and whispers “jordan don’t swing” it’s not helping with the chasing sliders problem.

I remember Bader having a huge issue chasing sliders down and away. It took him a while to get it corrected, hopefully JW can get there.

Walker regardless Can only get better. I think he has bottomed out. Now if he would not chase, he’d be a stud with his hard hitting ability.

Maybe the zone, not giving away a cheap strike, constantly ahead in the count, will help.

Looking for any edge here.

Walker has yet to show any improvement, the more he plays.

Disagree. His mastery
Of the two strike timeout in unparalleled

It hasn't improved as he has always done it. It's the one thing I wish all the Cards would do...especially when a pitcher is dealing

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:52 am

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:05 am

Hoosier59 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:02 am Noot and Donovan, as you say, players who take a lot of pitches will benefit a lot. One thing that will definitely change, is the automatic called strike on 3-0 counts. We’ve all seen them! Anywhere near the zone and it gets called a strike. If nothing else it runs up the pitchers pitch count. We also see the automatic ball called a lot on 0-2 counts.
I’m for the system, make the Umps be held more accountable!

I don't see the claim about "a lot" of automatic called strike on a 3-0 count, or an automatic ball, called on an 0-2 count.

I always knew you knew nothing about baseball. Now I finally have my final piece of evidence.

You truly are as clueless on baseball as one can get! Thanks for giving me a good chuckle this morning, guy.

LOL. It's your perception and I disagree. Now prove me wrong that these 2 instances are automatic. Have you never seen a 4 pitch walk in your life? Or a 3 pitch strikeout looking? You know how you document that on a scoresheet?

oh wait, I seriously doubt you know how.

You keep living to below my already low expectations when reading your posts.

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 12:34 pm

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:52 am

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:05 am

Hoosier59 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:02 am Noot and Donovan, as you say, players who take a lot of pitches will benefit a lot. One thing that will definitely change, is the automatic called strike on 3-0 counts. We’ve all seen them! Anywhere near the zone and it gets called a strike. If nothing else it runs up the pitchers pitch count. We also see the automatic ball called a lot on 0-2 counts.
I’m for the system, make the Umps be held more accountable!

I don't see the claim about "a lot" of automatic called strike on a 3-0 count, or an automatic ball, called on an 0-2 count.

I always knew you knew nothing about baseball. Now I finally have my final piece of evidence.

You truly are as clueless on baseball as one can get! Thanks for giving me a good chuckle this morning, guy.

LOL. It's your perception and I disagree. Now prove me wrong that these 2 instances are automatic. Have you never seen a 4 pitch walk in your life? Or a 3 pitch strikeout looking? You know how you document that on a scoresheet?

oh wait, I seriously doubt you know how.

You keep living to below my already low expectations when reading your posts.

Dude, if you've watched baseball at all in your entire life you will know that many times a 3-0 pitch that is anywhere remotely close is often called a strike. The term 3-0 automatic doesn't exist for no reason. C'mon guy. You can't really be this dumb, can you? Or is this just an act because you like to argue everything??

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 12:34 pm

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 09:52 am

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:05 am

Hoosier59 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 08:02 am Noot and Donovan, as you say, players who take a lot of pitches will benefit a lot. One thing that will definitely change, is the automatic called strike on 3-0 counts. We’ve all seen them! Anywhere near the zone and it gets called a strike. If nothing else it runs up the pitchers pitch count. We also see the automatic ball called a lot on 0-2 counts.
I’m for the system, make the Umps be held more accountable!

I don't see the claim about "a lot" of automatic called strike on a 3-0 count, or an automatic ball, called on an 0-2 count.

I always knew you knew nothing about baseball. Now I finally have my final piece of evidence.

You truly are as clueless on baseball as one can get! Thanks for giving me a good chuckle this morning, guy.

LOL. It's your perception and I disagree. Now prove me wrong that these 2 instances are automatic. Have you never seen a 4 pitch walk in your life? Or a 3 pitch strikeout looking? You know how you document that on a scoresheet?

oh wait, I seriously doubt you know how.

You keep living to below my already low expectations when reading your posts.

While he's over-stating the "auto-matic" part, it is quite common for the strike zone to be dependent on the count. Particularly and especially in 3-0 and 0-2 counts. K-zone bigger when 3-0 and smaller when 0-2, as much as 20% larger/smaller.

This isn't exactly what I was looking for, but it'll do.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-size-of ... -by-count/

I think the impact will be most pronounced on catchers, especially the ones who are not great at framing. I think that was one of the gripes about Contreras's catching.

I look forward to the day when all balls and strikes are called automatically. That eliminates the inconsistency of calling strikes even within the same game. Umpires are humans. Despite how good so many of them are, they will be inconsistent, which is not fair to the players.

Also, I think the "skill" of pitch framing is basically to trick the umpire. Why is that a good thing? I'd like to see it eliminated by ABS fulltime. It may be 2D or have other flaws, but it will be consistent throughout a game. Players can adjust if necessary. But no one is cheated out of a walk or strike-out.

The challenge systems at least gets us started and well along the way.

CCard wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 07:50 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 05:16 am Good morning.

Walker. I bet that name was most here first thought. Then Gorman.

Mt bet is on JJ. He has a mastery of the zone as it exists with umpires. Being novel, in its first year, he will master it from the get go, and might be even a better hitter.

Walker. Chases the outside slider. Will he adapt to the zone and lay off.

Gorman. Will he master and lay off the high stuff.

Dark hirses- Winn and Scott. Just imagine if their walks increase and hard hit ball rage increases.

Who best benefits from ABS.

Not being snarky so don't take this the wrong way dog, but I'd say they all will benefit from the atrocious calls from human umpires being reversed. As for individual players, a guy like Noot might benefit the most because he takes a lot of pitches. Every player that works the count would benefit more than a free swinger.

The umps have been over 90% accurate, according to the ABS studies.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/5-t ... hatgpt.com
Granted, the calls they get wrong are infuriating, but in 288 spring training games with ABS installed at 13 parks, 617 of 1,182 challenges were successful (≈52.2%). So, only when the call is bad enough to trigger a challenge, the umps win about half the time.