How Mariners’ ABS usage stacks up with rest of MLB

The Seattle Mariners recently had a scenario play out that was one of the greatest examples of why MLB has implemented the new Automated Ball-Strike System this season.

How can Kade Anderson help Mariners this year? Passan’s take

With the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, Rob Refsnyder took a pitch well off the plate in an 0-2 count that went for a called strike three. But after the veteran tapped his helmet for a review, the ABS System overturned the call and kept his at-bat alive.

A few pitches later, Refsnyder slugged what proved to be the game-winning home run.

“Today, it worked in our favor. Tomorrow, it might not,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said after the game. “It’s hard to say, but this is becoming a part of baseball. It is a part of baseball. So, I think, using it in a way that can help you out as much as possible is what our guys are going to try to do.”

With the calendar about to flip to May, here’s a look at how the Mariners have fared using the ABS System in its first month. All stats and rankings below are from Baseball Savant’s data and reflect where the team was ranked entering its day off on Thursday.

As batting team

• Number of challenges: 33 (ninth)
• Challenge wins: 16 (t-fifth)
• Challenge losses: 17 (t-10th)
• Success rate: 48.5% (12th)
• Strikeouts eliminated: Six (t-fourth)
• Walks gained: Four (t-third)
• Challenge rate: 4.5% (13th)
• Run value vs. expected: minus-0.2 (22nd)

The Mariners find themselves sitting near the top or the middle of the league in most categories while using the ABS challenge system as the hitting team.

Randy Arozarena, who has won two of three challenges, has been the club’s most efficient challenger. His plus-2.0 overturns vs. expected, which measures net ABS overturns compared to the expected for a player seeing identical pitches, leads the team.

Josh Naylor has used the ABS most with six challenges, winning two.

Luke Raley leads the team with three successful challenges, which is tied for 22nd league-wide. He’s used four challenges in total.

Refsnyder and Julio Rodríguez, who have each used one challenge apiece, are the only Mariners hitters to use the ABS and not lose a challenge. Mitch Garver, who has also used one challenge as a hitter, is the only M’s batter to use a challenge and not win at least one.

As pitching team

• Number of challenges: 37 (t-11th)
• Challenge wins: 25 (t-seventh)
• Challenge losses: 12 (t-18th)
• Success rate: 67.6% (sixth)
• Strikeouts gained: seven (t-third)
• Walks eliminated: one (t-19th)
• Challenge rate: 2.4% (10th)
• Run value vs. expected: plus-2.2 (third)

The M’s are also hovering around the top and middle of baseball while using the ABS challenge system as the pitching team.

Backup catcher Mitch Garver has been among baseball’s best at challenging from behind the plate with a 91% success rate (10 of 11), the highest mark among catchers who have challenged more than five ball-strike calls. Garver’s plus-8.8 overturns vs. expected and plus-0.8 runs vs. expected are both fifth in the league.

Cal Raleigh has won 14 of 24 challenges from behind the plate. He’s 10th in the league at plus-6.2 overturns vs. expected and 13th at plus-0.4 runs vs. expected.

George Kirby, who has won one of his two challenges, is the only Mariners pitcher to use the ABS. He’s also one of just six pitchers across baseball to use multiple challenges.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Two things we know, two questions we have a month into Mariners’ season
• Where things stand with Seattle Mariners’ Brendan Donovan, Bryce Miller
• Seattle Mariners’ Matt Brash details side issue, doesn’t think it’s serious
• White Sox call up Jarred Kelenic before playing Mariners next week
• Julio: When it’s clicking, Mariners ‘one of the best teams in baseball’

Related

Mariners move closer to elimination with 5-3 loss to RockiesSeattle Sports Radio Info: How to find Sunday’s Seahawks, Mariners gamesMariners’ lineup vs Rockies features a firstLazaro Montes blasts HR in 9th to lift Mariners past Rockies 5-4Has J.P. Crawford made the case for a Mariners return in ’27?Mariners prospect Felnin Celesten named Northwest League MVP