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Jul 15, 2025 10:05 PM EDT
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game got off to a fast start Tuesday night in Atlanta. After a scoreless top of the first, the National League wasted no time getting on the board. Tarik Skubal allowed three straight hits to open the bottom half, with Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ketel Marte all reaching base. Just like that, it was 2-0 NL.
But the biggest moment of the inning wasn’t the early runs. It came with two outs after Skubal struck out Manny Machado, sort of. Umpire Dan Iassogna initially called the pitch a ball, but Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh called for a challenge. The review showed the pitch caught the strike zone, and Machado was officially rung up.
Skubal followed that up by striking out Will Smith to end the inning.
The challenge wasn’t just another call reversal. It was the first successful use of the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system in MLB All-Star Game history. MLB quickly shared the moment on social media:
“The first ABS challenge powered by @TMobile in #AllStarGame history was … SUCCESSFUL!”
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The ABS system has been in testing across the minor leagues since 2019. In this new format, each team gets two challenges and retains them if the call is overturned.
As explained by Austin Williams of Live Now Fox, the system uses real-time tracking data to determine if a pitch crosses the strike zone. The technology has been a topic of debate among players and fans alike.
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) at Great American Ball Park. — Source: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Before the game, Skubal weighed in on the system:
“I have this thing where I think everything is a strike until the umpire calls it a ball,” he said with a smile.
National League starter Paul Skenes offered a similar take:
“Pitchers think everything is a strike. Then you go back and look at it, and it’s two, three balls off,” Skenes said Monday. “We should not be the ones that are challenging it.”
MLB plans to evaluate how the system performs in the All-Star Game and send feedback to the competition committee for further discussion during the offseason.
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