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By Ben Watanabe
Contributing Sports Writer
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Some players probably should not bother with ABS challenges.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one of those players.
The New York Yankees second baseman is egregiously bad at challenging pitches under the new automated ball-strike system, yet even when he has a successful challenge, the adventure isn't over. He still needs to make it to first base. Then, once he gets there, he needs to occupy the base and take a safe lead, like a normal person.
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Chisholm demonstrated Tuesday that's still too much to ask.
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Chisholm was immediately picked off of first base after successfully challenging ball four in the eighth inning the Yankees' 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. After replay showed Seranthony Dominguez's pitch had missed the zone by two-tenths of an inch, Chisholm strolled to first base, got himself settled, exchanged all his batting accessories for his baserunning accessories, and while fidgeting with his sliding mitt was picked off.
That's how it often goes whenever Chisholm is in the vicinity of an ABS challenge. He's lost 14 of his 22 challenges this season, according to Baseball Savant, for a cool 64% failure rate. It's clear Chisholm, like most Yankee batters this year, simply doesn't know the strike zone. He has a .297 on-base percentage, helping to drag down a Yankees lineup that ranks 24th in MLB in getting on base despite featuring on-base machines Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice.
Even if the Yankees haven't gotten what they need out of Chisholm this season, however, they don't need a long memory to recall what he's capable of. Just last year, he was a 4.1 WAR player -- arguably their most valuable position player outside of Aaron Judge and Bellinger.
You know what didn't exist last season? ABS challenges. Makes you think.
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