How MLB's New ABS Shows Red Sox Catcher, Ex-Teammate Evidently Shrunk In Offseason
The Red Sox catcher apparently shrunk three inches in the offseason, while the ABS challenge system shows his former All-Star teammate dropping two inches since 2024.
How MLB's New ABS Shows Red Sox Catcher, Ex-Teammate Evidently Shrunk In Offseason originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . America's pastime continues to change, and arguably the biggest difference during the 2026 MLB season will be the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system .
The introduction of the ABS challenge system has recently resulted in some notable (and entertaining) data regarding some big MLB names and their height, as noted by senior writer Andrew Joseph of For The Win . "One of the hilarious (and somewhat unforeseen) circumstances around MLB's move to an automated strike zone challenge system is that it sparked a shrinkage epidemic across baseball. Officially, players are getting shorter!
" Joseph wrote on Wednesday. "Before this season, players were able to provide their own heights for the official rosters. And while plenty of players were honest, others treated those media guide heights as they would on a dating app.
They added some inches. But with ABS, heights are measured to precision to give each player an individualized strike zone. " Among the players who Joseph noted who have seen a decrease in their height are Boston Red Sox backup catcher Connor Wong and Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman.