Jesse RogersDec 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseJesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.Follow on X
What are your initial thoughts on the challenge system?
As the hot stove season plays out and we wait to see where the top remaining free agents sign, MLB teams are already looking ahead to how they’ll use a major rule change coming to the sport in the new season.
Teams are in the early stages of formulating their challenge strategy, but at the winter meetings earlier this month, ESPN asked managers for a peek inside their thinking as spring training inches closer. One thing became clear: Managers won’t be relying on — or perhaps even allowing — pitchers to challenge calls.
“There’s a couple of guys that weren’t real keen on it, but I think for the most part, guys liked it.”
“What I love is it’s player-driven, you know what I mean? And it requires the players to embrace it, understand it, understand the strategy of it. It’s all good for our game, that’s what I’m thinking.”
Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton: “This is one of those things that you’re not going to get a really good barometer in spring training because it doesn’t really matter in spring training. I think we’re going to have to make it matter a little bit in spring training. I think how we train for it in spring training, whether it’s using bullpen situations to be able to educate your group of what’s a strike and what’s not a strike.”
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly: “We’re really relying on our minor league staff to come up with some parameters. We’ll dive in to develop a system to maximize things when they get here.”
“Nobody on, two outs in the second, probably not. Late innings? Maybe if it’s the sixth inning and bases loaded, maybe you use it.”
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol: “I’ll spend a ton of time on it with our staff. And of course down below [in the minors].”
Shelton: “My early thought — I don’t know if I should say this — I don’t think the pitchers should ever challenge. I think pitchers think everything is a strike. So I think there’s going to be strategy — that’s going to probably piss off some pitchers — I think there’s a strategy to it.”
Hinch: “We haven’t gone that far yet to say that they’re not. I have to have some conversations with pitchers who definitely want to.
“Tarik [Skubal] already had a little bit of a trial at the All-Star Game. I don’t know if it’s fortunately or unfortunately, but I think he got it right. That probably helps his case, but we’ve got to go over that by the time we get to spring. And ideally, we’d like to leave that up to the catcher. Not because I’m an ex-catcher, but because of the vantage point and the understanding of where that strike zone is. But I will have my work ahead of me with a few of our guys.”
Francona: “My guess is most of the teams will not allow their pitchers to do it. That would be my guess.”
Murphy: “I don’t think you can do that. I think you have to trust your players. You’ve got 26 active. You’ve got to trust them. You try to educate them, try to give them as much information as possible. We’ll see how it rolls.”
Those parameters open the door for strategic use of challenges. Managers undoubtedly won’t want to lose their two challenges early — especially in low-leverage moments — only to potentially need them later when the game is on the line. Since only the pitcher, catcher or batter can ask for a challenge — and by rule it has to happen instantaneously, meaning no time to look at a monitor and signal in instructions — managers are going to prep their teams ahead of time on when it is best to use a challenge.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch: “I’ve spent some time talking to our player development group and even some of the players who have gone up and down [to the minors]. I think, similar to the replay, there are subtle little adjustments that everybody’s had to make around some new rules. It will fall into a good rhythm and a good understanding of it. I think the first month will probably be the hardest month. Maybe spring will help a little bit. But in the spring, you can try and fail and it’s not that penal.
Lovullo: “Based on some of the questions that I’ve asked and the conversations that I had with people in player development that are very familiar with it, and what I saw in spring training [last year], I’m going to try not to allow the pitcher to make the [call]. They get very emotional. They hit their spot, and they want that inch and a half off the plate. I think that’s just what baseball has done over the course of the time. They hit their spot, the glove’s there, the catcher receives it well, the umpire is going to call it. I’m going to mostly rely on the catcher first and then potentially the hitter. I’d allow them to do it.”
Schaeffer: “When I managed in Triple-A, that was a rule. Because it’s emotional for them.”
CloseJesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.Follow on X