Home plate umpire Bill Miller had eight of his ball-strike calls overturned by the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) during the Cincinnati Reds' 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Miller, who has 27 years of major league service and is the crew chief, is among the umpires adapting to the new system introduced for the 2026 regular season.
This incident is one of several this season where umpires have seen a high number of their calls challenged and overturned by the ABS. On March 28, umpire C.B. Bucknor had six of his eight challenged calls reversed in a Reds-Red Sox game. Shortly after, the Minnesota Twins successfully overturned eight out of nine challenges against home plate umpire Andy Fletcher in a game against the Kansas City Royals. That game featured a then-record nine challenges by one team and 11 challenges overall.
The system has led to a record number of overturned calls in at least one instance. On June 8, home plate umpire Clint Vondrak had 11 calls overturned between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Oakland Athletics, setting an MLB record with 16 total challenges in that game.