The Cleveland Guardians aren’t exactly built to slug their way through games right now. Their offense, as it stands, is more about grinding out at-bats than lighting up the scoreboard. That puts pressure on new manager Stephen Vogt to find every possible edge - and one of those edges might just come from the rulebook, or more specifically, from the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System.
Now, for fans who aren’t sold on tech creeping further into baseball, this might sound like another gimmick. But for a team like the Guardians - one that leans on discipline and precision more than raw power - the ABS system could be a quiet difference-maker.
Vogt seems to think so, too. When asked about the new challenge system, he pointed to how it could help hitters refine their understanding of the strike zone - and he singled out one player in particular who stands to gain: Steven Kwan.
“The one thing with ABS, I think it’s going to help some guys really clean up their judgment of the strike zone,” Vogt said. “Paying attention to it and having the ability to challenge, I think, could really help with swing decisions. But I definitely think Kwan will benefit from it a lot.”
That’s not just coach-speak. Kwan is one of the most disciplined hitters in the game - a guy who rarely chases and consistently puts the ball in play.
But even the most disciplined hitters can get burned by a bad call, and Kwan has had more than his share of those. With the ability to challenge balls and strikes, he won’t just be protected from those mistakes - he’ll be empowered to turn them into opportunities.
That could mean more walks, more traffic on the basepaths, and more chances for the Guardians to manufacture runs.
And that’s the kind of edge this team needs. Cleveland doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for a three-run homer to bail them out. They need to win the margins - and the ABS system gives them a tool to do just that.
Of course, all of this hinges on Kwan still being in a Guardians uniform come Opening Day. His name has been floating in trade rumors since last season, and while he’s under contract through 2027 on a very team-friendly deal, he hasn’t yet received the extension many believe he’s earned. That creates a bit of a crossroads for Cleveland: hold onto a cornerstone player who fits the team’s identity, or explore trade options if the season doesn’t start the way they hope.
For now, though, the focus is on finding every possible way to squeeze more value out of the roster - and the ABS challenge system might be one of the more underrated tools in that effort. Especially for a hitter like Kwan, who already brings a sharp eye and elite discipline to the box, that little red button could be a game-changer.