Yankees’ Jose Caballero gets real about historic ABS challenge that failed
· Yahoo Sports
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The New York Yankees dominated their Opening Day matchup vs. the San Francisco Giants and watched Jose Caballero turn a routine fourth-inning pitch into a historic moment. The Yankees shortstop became the first player ever to initiate an ABS challenge in a regular-season MLB game, putting the league’s new automated strike zone squarely in the spotlight.
Caballero’s historic moment came in the top of the fourth inning. With Giants ace Logan Webb on the mound, he watched a first-pitch sinker ring up as a strike from home-plate umpire Bill Miller and instantly tapped his helmet to trigger a challenge. ABS technology quickly confirmed the call, turning his bid into a failed appeal but locking it in as MLB’s first-ever official in-game ABS challenge.
The former seventh-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017 had already established the tone earlier in the game, knocking in the first runs of the 2026 MLB season. Caballero ripped an RBI double during a five-run second inning, helping the Pinstripes build a commanding lead in the opener vs. San Francisco.
YES Network spotlighted the milestone on X, formerly Twitter, after the Yankees’ road victory to open the 2026 season, sharing the clip of his historic ABS challenge and his postgame comments with fans.
“When the history books are written, José Caballero will go down as the first player to call for an ABS challenge in an MLB game!
He spoke about that after Wednesday’s win before moving on to the Yankees’ offense. #YANKSonYES”
When the history books are written, José Caballero will go down as the first player to call for an ABS challenge in an MLB game!
He spoke about that after Wednesday's win before moving on to the Yankees' offense. #YANKSonYESpic.twitter.com/PVu36gA4BU
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 26, 2026
After the game, Caballero laid out his opinion of ABS and how it affects the strike zone.
“I think it’s really good. It keeps everyone accountable and gives us a chance to really see if we’re good with the zone or not.”
The ABS challenge milestone signals a major shift in how MLB umpires the game. MLB rolled out the system leaguewide in 2026 and now lets players challenge ball-strike calls in real time. Although Caballero lost his challenge, he still took a defining step forward in integrating technology into umpiring.
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