Wilyer Abreu's plate discipline has caught the attention of Red Sox management
Tuesday night’s game in Worcester marked the first night of AAA games that would be using ABS, which is the new Automated Ball/Strike System. It is a new system adopted in the minor leagues that is just what you think it might be.
An “robot ump” tells the home plate umpire if each pitch is a ball and a strike. It is relayed straight to the home plate umpire’s earpiece “in a split half-second”, according to the home plate umpire on Tuesday in Worcester. For the most part, the casual fan can’t really tell a difference with any delay, and the game goes on as normal. For the umpires, it’s a barely noticeable delay in their standards.
Some hitters will benefit greatly from the consistent strike zone. Not feeling like they will have to swing something out of the strike zone one day due to an umpire having a larger zone, or due to a great catcher behind the plate that can frame like the best of them.
Wilyer Abreu is one of those guys that will benefit the most from the new technology.
The second part of the return of the trade deadline deal that sent Christian Vazquez to Houston, Abreu is the less talked about of the two prospects due to Enmanuel Valdez receiving a couple calls up to the big leagues.
WooSox Manager Chad Tracy raved earlier this year about Abreu in the outfield and his ability to make an impressive and accurate throw from the corner outfield positions.
Now the talk shifts to the offensive side of his game.
Wilyer Abreu drew 124 walks in 2022 between his two minor league clubs for the Astros and Red Sox, and in his stint in the winter league. Every time Abreu’s name comes up in the manager’s office, he reminds you of that stat.
“He is one that I think will benefit greatly from the ABS.” WooSox Manager Chad Tracy said postgame on Tuesday. “He has the ability to take pitches that are just off the plate that might get called with a human umpire calling balls and strikes. I think it gives himself the chance to use the eye he has and put himself in positive counts time and time again.”
Abreu is up to an .821 OPS on the year and hit his second home run of the season on Thursday. The walks have also already started up, as he has walked 10 times in 50 plate appearences with most recently a three walk game coming on Tuesday. He is starting to swing the bat as well after a slow start coming off his IL stint for his hamstring to begin the season.
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