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New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero made MLB history on Wednesday: he became the first player to use the Automated Ball-Striking System (ABS).
During the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 7–0 Opening Day win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, Caballero challenged home plate umpire Bill Miller’s strike call after Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb threw a sinker to the top of the zone.
Caballero, 29, tapped his head to issue the challenge and appeal the strike call, but lost the challenge. The automated ball-strike system’s 12 Hawk-Eye cameras showed Webb’s 90.7 mph sinker was in the zone.
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Jose Caballero (72) of the New York Yankees goes to first after hitting a one-run double in the second inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on March 25, 2026. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Despite losing the challenge, he was convinced of his decision.
“No, I wanted to go,” Caballero said.
Caballero thought it was a bit higher than what was shown, but he is a fan of the ABS system despite his unsuccessful appeal.
“I think it’s really good to hold everyone accountable,” he added. “It gives us a chance to really see how good (we are) with the zone or not. I wish it was the other way around, trying to get the knockdown call, but this time I didn’t.”
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Jazz Chisholm Jr., left, and José Caballero, right, of the New York Yankees, are congratulated by Austin Wells (28) after both scoring on Ryan McMahon’s two-run single against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, California, March 25, 2026. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)
Caballero’s challenge was the only one of the match. The Yankees led 5-0 at the time of the challenge.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he tried to be direct in the feedback he gave players regarding their challenges.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about it. It’s something we’ve invested a lot in, certainly,” Boone said. “It became one of the things that I kind of tried to lead the charge on a little bit. Another sort of late spring meeting with all the position players and the receivers at the end, I would go over the different ones that came up and give my opinion on it. I was very direct with them in the spring until after the fact whether I thought one was really good or, conversely, if one was bad.”
“I tried to be very direct with them and why,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to be good at it, that’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to grow with that.”
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New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero (72) throws the ball to first to record an out against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on March 25, 2026. (Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images)
Teams are offered two challenges per match, but if they successfully challenge a decision, they keep it. But if the challenge fails, you lose it. Thus, the Yankees had only one challenge left for the rest of the game after Caballero’s failed attempt in the fourth inning.
Caballero, who went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, drove in the first run of the 2026 MLB season with a single that scored Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning.
The Yankees (1-0) will look to continue their strong start when they face the Giants (0-1) Friday at 4:35 p.m. ET.
