In its first year of implementation at the major league level, the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System seems to have been an overwhelming success.
Players, managers and fans have all responded favorably to the two-challenge format that has been in effect for the 2026 season. Players have learned to use their challenges judiciously.
Managers don’t need to ride the umpires to try and influence their calls. And fans get the immediate satisfaction of seeing almost instantly whether or not a borderline pitch was actually a ball or a strike.
So why mess with a good thing when playoff time rolls around?
ABS rules for MLB playoffs
While the number of replay challenges available for each manager increases from one to two in the playoffs, the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System will remain exactly the same as it was during the regular season.
Each team begins the game with two challenges and keeps any challenges that are successful. If the game goes to extra innings, teams receive an additional challenge if they don’t have any left at the start of an inning.
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MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
The New York Yankees lead the pack by a wide margin with 27 World Series titles, the most championships in major American professional sports. They’re followed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won the Fall Classic 11 times, while the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers have catapulted into the No. 3 spot with their ninth championship − and third in the last five years − in 2025. Also tied for third-most World Series are the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics. The A’s former neighbors across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants, are fourth (eight championships). The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates round out the top five with five titles apiece. Here’s a complete ranking of every MLB club by World Series titles:
(Bettmann, Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
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MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
The New York Yankees lead the pack by a wide margin with 27 World Series titles, the most championships in major American professional sports. They’re followed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won the Fall Classic 11 times, while the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers have catapulted into the No. 3 spot with their ninth championship − and third in the last five years − in 2025. Also tied for third-most World Series are the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics. The A’s former neighbors across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants, are fourth (eight championships). The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates round out the top five with five titles apiece. Here’s a complete ranking of every MLB club by World Series titles:
(Bettmann, Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
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MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
