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New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero made MLB history Wednesday: He became the first player to use the automatic ball impact system (ABS).
During the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 7-0 Opening Day win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, Caballero challenged home plate umpire Bill Miller’s strike call after Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb threw a sinker in the top of the zone.
Caballero, 29, tapped his head to start the challenge and appealed the strike call, but lost the challenge. The 12 Hawk-Eye cameras in the Automated Ball-Strike System showed Webb’s 90.7 mph sinker was in the zone.
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José Caballero (72) of the New York Yankees runs to first after hitting a one-run double in the second inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on March 25, 2026. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Despite losing the challenge, he had conviction in his decision.
“No, I would go for it,” Caballero said.
Caballero thought it was a bit higher than it showed, but he is a fan of the ABS system despite his failed appeal.
“I think it’s really good, hold everyone accountable,” he added. “It gives us a chance to really see how good (we are) with the zone or not. I wish it was the other way around, I’m trying to overturn the call, but this time I didn’t.”
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Jazz Chisholm Jr., left, and José Caballero, right, of the New York Yankees are congratulated by Austin Wells (28) after they both scored on Ryan McMahon’s two-run single against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, California, March 25, 2026. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)
Caballero’s challenge was the only one of the game. The Yankees were up 5-0 at the time of the challenge.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he has tried to be direct with the feedback he has given to players regarding their challenges.
“We’ve had a lot of dialogue on it. It’s something we’ve poured a lot into, I definitely have,” Boone said. “It’s become one of those things that I’ve kind of tried to lead the charge on a little bit. Another kind of end-of-spring meeting with all the position players and catchers at the end, just kind of running through different ones that showed up and giving my feedback on it. I’ve been very direct with them throughout the spring as far as afterward if I thought one was really good or vice versa if one was terrible.”
“I’ve tried to be really direct with them and why,” he said. “I feel like we’ll be good at it, that’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to develop with it.”
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New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero (72) throws to first for an out against the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on March 25, 2026. (Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images)
Teams get two challenges in a game, but if they challenge a call, they keep it. But if the challenge fails, you lose it. So the Yankees were down to one challenge for the rest of the game after Caballero’s failed attempt in the fourth inning.
Caballero, who went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, drove in the first run of the 2026 MLB season with a single that scored Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning.
The Yankees (1-0) will look to continue their hot start when they host the Giants (0-1) on Friday at 4:35 PM ET.
