Walker Buehler’s wild ABS comments make Red Sox fans feel better about release

Former Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler has joined the Philadelphia Phillies for a late season push into the postseason after being cut by Boston just before the roster deadline.

The 2024 World Series winner, who notched the final out in the Dodgers’ championship campaign last year, came to Boston to redeem himself after a second Tommy John surgery in 2022. Despite his struggles in the regular season, he carried immense playoff pedigree with him and the mentality of a fierce competitor.

Craig Breslow took a chance on Buehler with a one-year deal. To his credit, the righty shouldered blame for his blowups and worked hard throughout the season to right the ship. He’s been consistently outspoken about his passion for the game, and added some more interesting commentary to that running diatribe as he prepared to properly join the Phillies’ staff.

This time, his comments came as a gripe with the automated umpiring system (ABS) at the plate being deployed in the minor leagues. His take was odd, to say the least, and might give Red Sox fans something of a sigh of relief as questions surrounding his release amid a string of injuries have swirled in recent days. On September 11th, Tim Kelly (@OnPattison) posted an interview snippet in which Buehler spoke on his experience with the ABS system used in the minors.

“I think most of the stadiums, it’s not even actually on the plate. I think it shifts certain directions and certain ballparks," Buehler said. "The human element is a huge part of this game… I think starting pitchers that have pitched for a long time deserve certain parts of the plate that other guys don’t get.”

Former Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler gives controversial thoughts on the ABS system soon after joining Phillies organization

There’s certainly some leeway that tends to come for established players, but the idea that incorrect calls are a right that certain guys have granted to them is ludicrous. It seems that he might really be taking offense to the idea that if the ABS system isn’t stable across ballparks (something he wouldn’t actually know, since he has pitched in one Triple-A game), then all pitchers regardless of experience can game the robo-ump to take advantage of leeway at schemed-out parts of the plate. Buehler’s a player with a winning attitude, and this take feels uncharacteristically whiney.  

Trialed in part during this season’s spring training among big leaguers, the ABS system automates the ball and strike calls made at the plate. It relies on the same Hawk-Eye technology that has underpinned Statcast data since 2019. It’s also been in testing in the minors since then and is poised to become a part of the major league experience in 2026.

It’s worth noting that many have pushed back on this change and in June, Chad Jennings with The Athletic found that over 63% of the 134 anonymous players surveyed were against ‘robo-umps’ calling the game at the plate. “I hate it,” one player told him. Perhaps that masked figure was Buheler, given his tirade against the technology last week.