Aaron Judge took advantage of Major League Baseball’s new Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system on March 28, overturning a called strike during a key at-bat and then hitting his first home run of the season to help the New York Yankees defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-0 at Oracle Park.
The use of the ABS system marks a significant change for hitters like Judge, who has often been called out on strikes on pitches outside the zone due to his height. The technology allows players to challenge certain ball-strike calls during games. “It’s weird. It’s a new part of the game,” Judge said. “You’ve just got to get used to it. I’m a hitter. I’ve got to focus on hitting. I’m not going to try to challenge every single one I think is close, but if there’s a big spot where I think I’ve got a chance to flip the count, I’m going to do it.”
During Friday’s game, Judge challenged an umpire’s call in the sixth inning after Robbie Ray’s slider was called a strike; ABS showed it missed below the zone and gave him a favorable count that led up to his two-run homer later in that at-bat.
Giancarlo Stanton also hit a home run for New York as Cam Schlittler and four relievers combined for a one-hit shutout—marking the first time in franchise history that they opened with back-to-back shutouts. Manager Aaron Boone said, “A handful of guys have really gotten their feet wet into the season, getting those kinds of first things out of the way… The guys have really come out and played sharp so far.”
Judge has long faced challenges with low strike calls because of his 6-foot-7 frame; from 2017 through 2025 he tied Mookie Betts for most called strikes outside the zone (638), with far more low strikes than any other player in that period.
Teammate Cody Bellinger said, “It’s funny; he’s so tall, and somehow he gets rung up on that call… It’s going to be good for him… He knows the zone really well, and obviously it worked out that time.” Pitcher Robbie Ray added about facing Judge: “I challenged the best hitter in baseball, and he just happened to get me… I just went to the well one too many times.”
The Yankees’ victory was notable for being played near Linden, California—Judge’s hometown—and extended his record at Oracle Park with four homers and eight RBIs in five career games there.
Looking ahead, players are adapting quickly as MLB integrates new technologies like ABS into regular play.
