In Triple-A, that’s a ball. It’s only called a strike 27% of the time. But one spot over in Zone 12—the shadow zone directly above the plate above the top of the heart of the zone—the MLB ...

Surprise Stadium scoreboard showing a strike during a Cincinnati Reds vs. Texas Rangers game. Getty Images “Instead of the not Top-10 plays, they can do the not Top-10 challenges,” Arencibia said.

When asked if he thinks he’s able to control the zone, he was honest in his assessment. “I don’t think so,” Mauricio told the Daily News. “I’m working hard on it.

The Brief MLB is debuting its automated ball-strike system in the All-Star Game after testing it in the minors since 2019. Each team gets two challenges and keeps them if correct; spring tests saw ...