“I hate it. It’s terrible. Hopefully it never comes to baseball.” – Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta rips ABS system following minor league rehab outing
Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta had his first rehab assignment since his injury in April, and he had some scathing words for the ABS system in place in the minor league.
Having been on the injured list since early last month due to a right elbow flexor strain, the righty had his first rehab assignment with the Worcester Red Sox on Thursday. Speaking on his performance after the game, Pivetta slammed the full ABS system which is in place in the minors, saying:
“I hate it. It’s terrible. Hopefully it never comes to baseball. I think the challenge system is fine, but the strike zone is just weird. It doesn't fit. It doesn't match baseball."
Any rule change in the MLB has and will always be met with severe criticism and even more debate on how the game should be played. While the pitch clock has made it to the MLB after being experimented with in the minors, the automated ball-strike system (ABS) is still being tested in the minors.
Currently, strike calls in the majors are made by the umpires, with each team getting five chances to challenge a call and refer the ABS.
In the Triple-A level, the league is testing a full ABS system, and based on Nick Pivetta's comments after his first test of the ABS during his rehab assignment, he is clearly not in favor of it making the jump to the majors.
Red Sox's young arms continue MLB dominance despite Nick Pivetta's absence
The Boston Red Sox were one of the quietest teams in the offseason and nobody expected their rotation to dominate over the first month of the MLB season. They only added Lucas Giolito to their rotation, and he will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery.
Nick Pivetta, who was expected to be a key member of the rotation, put in two solid outings to start his season on a strong note before being sidelined due to injury last month.
However, their younger arms have stepped up and recorded a 2.03 ERA over the first 32 games, which is the lowest in the MLB. Kutter Crawford (28 years old), Tanner Houck (27), and Cooper Criswell (27) have led the way for this surprising rotation, with all three starters having an ERA under 1.70.