because the there has been argument whether if the zone itself is a 2-D plane or a 3-D box. then of course the whole players' height and all that. i've heard players said it's 2D and i've heard players said it's 3D so it's more complicated but either way, the ABS thing as of now is a good start.
I don't really know how it compares to how umps have been calling it, but the ABS strike zone is officially different from the rule book in two ways - it's two-dimensional and it defines the height of the strike zone differently: Dimensionality: Rulebook defines a 3D box (pentagonal prism) from the front of the plate. ABS uses a 2D line at the middle of the plate. Measurement Point: A ball that clips the front edge of the plate is a strike by the rulebook but can be a ball in ABS because it misses the middle-plate marker. Height Definition: While the rulebook uses specific anatomical points (mid-torso to bottom of knee), ABS sets the bottom of the zone at a fixed 27% of a batter’s height and the top at 53.5%. As an example, a player that crouched down would have had a smaller strike zone in the past than the sam player standing straight up. I'm not arguing good or bad, but it's different.
So this is essentially what I was getting at although I think, at least for now, trying to employ a 3D ABS would be potentially catastrophic.
Just theoretically, you cannot show the strike zone in two dimensions as is shown on ABS. The ball moves through the zone. In reality, the problem exists with both an umpire and ABS, though ABS can improve. But intentional distortion with the adjustment of the strike zone is rarely considered.
I don't think the ABS is perfectly accurate. That said, human umpires are so much worse on average... https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=ff85a587-2e61-47cc-b2c3-f5a75dd62711
The human eye cannot actually follow the ball in the last 1/4 of the pitch. That's why framing pitches works. The adjustment to batters is subject to determining the top and bottom of the zone as well. Perhaps at some point in the future, these adjustments will be eliminated altogether and the top and bottom will be at a fixed height as well and it will be up to the batters to adjust. And they will just like the pitch clock, batter time outs and throws to 1B. That's not to say I like changes to old rules, but that never keeps them from happening. I'm still mad about the DH and will always be, even though I love watching Alvarez. What can I say? I'm just an old Codger.
I hated the DH, but must admit I prefer watching offensive games better than defensive ones. It took away some of the nuanced greatness of the sport. Manager decisions, Pinch Hitting for pitchers, stealing bases, etc. It was partly responsible for “chicks like the long ball” emphasis of today’s game. To me, I guess the DH has made the game more watchable from day to day, but not as suspenseful or intense at times.
The question, in my mind at least, shouldn’t be whether ABS is more accurate than an umpire. It’s more like, how much more accurate does it need to be before it’s fair to justify using it? Human error is more acceptable than technological error, so just being “better” isn’t really justification enough by itself imo.
The graphic they showed didn’t even make it 100% clear that it actually clipped the corner of the zone.
