Balls and strikes

[Vincent Bandish]

When is a ball considered a strike? Where crosses the plate, where the ball lands. I say where crosses the plate. Now that is how it is how come when we watch it on TV and they challenge it they only show you where the ball lands why don't they show you where crosses the plate? Please give it informed answer for what is a strike please

[JSam21]

10 hours ago, Vincent Bandish said:

When is a ball considered a strike? Where crosses the plate, where the ball lands. I say where crosses the plate. Now that is how it is how come when we watch it on TV and they challenge it they only show you where the ball lands why don't they show you where crosses the plate? Please give it informed answer for what is a strike please

By rule, pitches are judged as the cross the plate... any portion of the plate. When you see ABS challeneges, the pitches are read at the mid point of the plate, i.e. where the plate starts to taper into the point. 

 

[beerguy55]

13 hours ago, Vincent Bandish said:

Now that is how it is how come when we watch it on TV and they challenge it they only show you where the ball lands why don't they show you where crosses the plate?

This is not true.

ABS and/or that real time box you see are both measuring where the ball crosses the plate - not where it "lands"....ie. the catcher's mitt??

The difference is ABS uses one specific point of the plate, so it's a 2D plane, whereas the actual rulebook defines the strike zone as a 3D area in space the shape of the plate.

I suspect ABS will improve this over time.

[BigBlue4u]

On 9/8/2026 at 6:32 PM, Vincent Bandish said:

When is a ball considered a strike? Where crosses the plate, where the ball lands. I say where crosses the plate. Now that is how it is how come when we watch it on TV and they challenge it they only show you where the ball lands why don't they show you where crosses the plate? Please give it informed answer for what is a strike please

There is also a real-life consideration that needs to be made.  Right or wrong, the way a catcher catches a borderline pitch can be a major factor in calling a pitch a strike.  If a pitch comes in at the batter's knees, and the catcher stops the pitch at ground level, by rule that's a strike.  However, that probably won't be acceptable to the players.  A good catcher will extend his glove as far as possible and likely be rewarded with a strike call.  Current LA Angels manager Curt Suzuki was a master at this while catching at Cal State Fullerton. On corner pitches, he would roll his glove into the zone and get a lot of strikes just by not jerking his glove into the strike zone.

 

[MadMax]

On 9/8/2026 at 8:32 PM, Vincent Bandish said:

when we watch it on TV and they challenge it they only show you where the ball lands why don't they show you where crosses the plate?

I can't quite make sense of what you're asking, considering that the ABS Challenge system does show – and is, in fact, based on – where the pitched ball crosses the plate. Completely irrespective of where or how the catcher caught it (or, "where the ball lands"). 

While I respect @BigBlue4u's perspective, for the discernment (calling) of Balls & Strikes, Baseball is disconnecting the factual, measured path of the ball through the strike zone from the "how" – the catching / framing / presentation by the catcher (F2). 

[jimurrayalterego]

3 hours ago, MadMax said:

 the ABS Challenge system does show – and is, in fact, based on – where the pitched ball crosses the plate.

 

Does show where the pitched ball crosses strike zone at the middle of the plate. Which is why pitched balls that cross the strike zone at the front of the plate can be correct strikes for the ump but overturned on ABS. And the rare 12 to 6 curve that catches the back point of the plate can be a ball by ABS but a correct strike by the ump. That being said ABS is an improvement and correcting some gross misses.

[MadMax]

13 hours ago, jimurrayalterego said:

That being said ABS is an improvement and correcting some gross misses.

"Gross" misses like this one?

This is not a direct criticism of U#18 specifically; instead, this is (damning/shining) criticism of the "gotta catch it clean / well / properly to be a strike" camp-of-thought. 

... which still permeates amateur baseball.