2025 Misc MLB News Thread

[brooks_quichenick]

FWIW, after going to a few different Spring Training games this year that used ABS, pace of play was not affected at all. It was shockingly quick and seemed to get the crowd engaged as well.

[markedman5]

I think the players seem in favor of the challenge system…….they don’t want to take the human element out of the game but want chances to correct calls that are either obvious misses or that could sway a game.

i think it’s a good compromise 

[wiguy94]

I just want to add I think the ball/strike umping in AAA has gotten better because of the challenge system. Umps get immediate feedback on their incorrect calls and can adjust their zones. The worst umps I've seen in terms of ball/strike have largely been MLB umps.

[young guns]

2 hours ago, markedman5 said:

don’t want to take the human element out of the game

Not to pick on you for it, but I hate this phrase/thought process.  The only human element I want in the game is from the players and feel all human element should be taken out of the officiating.  Also, everyone who thinks this will still complain after a blown call goes against them and will not think boy I love that human element nice call ump.

[Jimbo]

13 hours ago, markedman5 said:

Looks like the challenge system is going to be a go for next season.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6403954/2025/06/04/manfred-proposal-abs-challenge-system-2026/

I didn't know AAA was doing this until the game I attended last week.  Yeah, super quick and didn't affect the flow of the game at all.

[tmwiese55]

It was so quick in spring and people are saying it is in AAA too that one would think you could just do it on every pitch automatically and never have to think about it again. 

[Brian]

13 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

What a stupid rule change. If you’re gonna have a challenge for balls and strikes, it necessarily means the umpires frequently get the calls wrong so why not  have a completely automated system for all balls and strikes and cure the problem without needless delays. To hell with catchers who are good at framing, which is simply trying to trick an umpire into calling something a strike that’s not.

if an umpire has a funky strike zone, but calls it consistently for both sides, a challenge system where you get multiple challenges as long as they’re correct will disrupt any sort of pace of play. 

The beauty of baseball there was no clock, no replay and that’s the way it’s always been. More knee jerk reaction to media criticism as they mutate the game into something ridiculously silly.

Disagree, the problem really is getting the calls wrong at critical/crucial points in the game, usually in the 8th or 9th inning.  The Brewers always seem to be on the short end of the stick on those calls especially against the big market teams.  So it will add a couple minutes to the game if there is a challenge, I'm all for it.

 

[markedman5]

14 hours ago, young guns said:

Not to pick on you for it, but I hate this phrase/thought process.  The only human element I want in the game is from the players and feel all human element should be taken out of the officiating.  Also, everyone who thinks this will still complain after a blown call goes against them and will not think boy I love that human element nice call ump.

No offense taken…..the players are the ones that I’ve seen mention this……they don’t want to have all human element taken out of the game……at least not yet. 

It may happen in the future but like most things change is gradual….challenge system seems to be a nice step forward.

[markedman5]

 

[Jopal78]

3 hours ago, Brian said:

Disagree, the problem really is getting the calls wrong at critical/crucial points in the game, usually in the 8th or 9th inning.  The Brewers always seem to be on the short end of the stick on those calls especially against the big market teams.  So it will add a couple minutes to the game if there is a challenge, I'm all for it.

 

What percentage of games turn on a single ball or called strike, let alone in the 8th or 9th inning? If they want to impose a uniform strike zone and have a machine call balls and strikes, fine. Adding another challenge system is dropping a nuclear bomb on an ant hill. 
 

[Brian]

35 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

What percentage of games turn on a single ball or called strike, let alone in the 8th or 9th inning? If they want to impose a uniform strike zone and have a machine call balls and strikes, fine. Adding another challenge system is dropping a nuclear bomb on an ant hill. 
 

Based on the information available, the Milwaukee Brewers' record in the 2025 MLB season is: 

Overall Record: 34 wins and 29 losses.

One-Run Games: 9 wins and 10 losses. 

Even if 2 of them had a bad call involved it would make a difference in making the playoffs, especially as a wild card. IMO 

[duewizard]

The Reds game just the other night is a perfect example. Durbin had a strike 3  with 2 outs called a ball and reached on an error the next pitch. Next AB Bauers was a few inches from sending us to extra innings. I

1 hour ago, Jopal78 said:

What percentage of games turn on a single ball or called strike, let alone in the 8th or 9th inning? If they want to impose a uniform strike zone and have a machine call balls and strikes, fine. Adding another challenge system is dropping a nuclear bomb on an ant hill. 
 

 

[Frisbee Slider]

1 hour ago, Jopal78 said:

What percentage of games turn on a single ball or called strike, let alone in the 8th or 9th inning?

I assume the splits on being in a hitters count or falling behind in the count as a batter are meaningfully different.

Being ahead 2-1 in the count instead of 1-2 is probably a huge difference and that doesn’t even take getting called out on strikes on a ball outside of the zone.

[young guns]

Is there any data on number of challenges per game or % overturned calls per game from either the minors or spring training?

[Brian]

KC just beat Stl 7-5 Final.

[Jopal78]

8 hours ago, duewizard said:

The Reds game just the other night is a perfect example. Durbin had a strike 3  with 2 outs called a ball and reached on an error the next pitch. Next AB Bauers was a few inches from sending us to extra innings. I

 

Exactly my point. The missed call on Durbin turned out to have no impact whatsoever on the actual outcome of the game. 
 

[duewizard]

Just now, Jopal78 said:

Exactly my point. The missed call on Durbin turned out to have no impact whatsoever on the actual outcome of the game. 
 

I have no clue how you missed the point but whatever I guess. You're entitled to your opinion

[Jopal78]

13 minutes ago, duewizard said:

I have no clue how you missed the point but whatever I guess. You're entitled to your opinion

No, I do get it but it’s absurd example. Supposing a challenge system existed, the Reds could’ve challenged the umpire’s call on Durbin and perhaps it would have been overturned as strike 3, and game over. As it turns out Durbin reached base after the call, and the next batter Bauers made an out. I get it, he hit the ball and it nearly left the yard but it in fact was caught for the final out of the game. So explain how the missed call on Durbin made any difference in the outcome of the game whatsoever. 

[markedman5]

Brutal 

 

[nate82]

12 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Brutal 

 

This is why signing FA’s especially pitchers to a long term deal is just a dumb idea for small market teams.  Though the Dbacks are not a small market team.

The Brewers should never play in FA for pitchers unless it is a short term deal.  I also believe this is true for positional players also unless they are a once in a generation talent.  

[edfunderburk]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/corbin-burnes-to-undergo-tommy-john-surgery.html?utm_source=twitter
 

Corbin Burnes To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

[biedergb]

The team may have dodged bullets with Burnes and Williams. The returns on both trades have been middling to poor (Blake Burke may be the best). At least paying premium for 1-1.5 missing seasons if Burnes and who knows what will happen with his is-he-or-isnt’t-he season. 
 

still. I will keep harping on the trade returns which I am not a fan of (understood that others disagree). But the volatile season of Williams and the likely lost ‘25-‘26 for Burnes are cautionary tales. 

[sveumrules]

3 minutes ago, biedergb said:

still. I will keep harping on the trade returns which I am not a fan of

OUT (3.7 WAR)
Burnes (4.4 rWAR)
Williams (-0.7 rWAR)

IN (3.0 WAR)
Ortiz (2.8 WAR)
Hall (0.4 rWAR)
Durbin (0.1 WAR)
Cortes (-0.3 rWAR)

We’re almost even from a pure production standpoint despite trading away the two star players, still won the Division without Burnes last year, have like fifteen seasons of control remaining on Ortiz/Hall/Durbin (plus Burke), and prolly don’t sign Hoskins without the front office having confidence in being able to deal Burnes.

[markedman5]

 

[Frisbee Slider]

48 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

and prolly don’t sign Hoskins without the front office having confidence in being able to deal Burnes.

I completely agree that Milwaukee does not sign Hoskins without trading Burnes.

Hoskins is 1 WAR this year and -0.2 last year. 0.8 in total. 
 

Conclusion: Brewers already won the trades.