The 2026 season introduces the ABS challenge system, a change that could quietly reshape careers across baseball without the spectacle fans usually expect.
Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider (36) hits a double in the third inning against the New York Yankees during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Few players stand to gain more from this shift than Blue Jays utilityman Davis Schneider, whose plate discipline has often worked against him.
Since debuting in late 2023, Schneider has repeatedly been punished by borderline calls that umpires ruled strikes just outside the zone.
League-wide tracking data paints a stark picture, placing Schneider first in baseball for out-of-zone pitches called strikes between 2023 and 2025.
Nearly thirty percent of pitches just off the plate were called strikes against him, an extreme outlier compared to similar hitters.
Those calls accumulated quietly, altering counts, forcing defensive swings, and shaving value from an offensive profile built on patience over time.
Video from his rookie season shows at-bats derailed by pitches inches outside, even during stretches when he was scorching hot.
With ABS challenges live in 2026, those moments gain accountability, allowing teams to contest calls that previously ended rallies abruptly.
For a hitter with an elite eye, forcing pitchers back into the zone fundamentally changes how at-bats unfold consistently again.
Schneider’s recent stat line reflects the damage, with low averages masking strong walk rates and power potential over multiple seasons.
In 217 games, strikeouts piled up while borderline calls erased opportunities that might have flipped counts and outcomes entirely elsewhere.
The ABS system doesn’t guarantee success, but it restores fairness for players whose value depends on precision at the plate.
For Schneider, the timing matters, as roster margins tighten and every percentage point of on-base ability counts in decisions ahead.
Entering 2026 as a bubble player, technology rather than talent could determine whether he sticks or fades with Toronto long-term.
For the Blue Jays, ABS may quietly unlock value already present, changing one player’s trajectory without a single swing needed.
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