Following a costly miscalculation in Game 1 of the NLDS, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has revoked Andy Pages’ authority to trigger the ABS challenge system.
The signal was quick, instinctive, and wrong. In the second inning of Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves. with two outs and nobody on base. Andy Pages tapped his helmet to challenge a 2-2 pitch. The ball had caught the zone—landing 2.6 inches above the bottom edge—and when the system confirmed the strike. the Dodgers lost their challenge for the remainder of the game.
While the blunder did not prevent a 5-3 opening win, the margin for error in the postseason is razor-thin. By Sunday, ahead of Game 2, Dave Roberts had seen enough. He pulled his outfielder aside and delivered a clear directive: Pages is no longer permitted to initiate challenges.
“We talked about obviously a lot this year with Andy’s success rate or lack thereof. I didn’t revisit it before Game 1 yesterday, so that’s my fault,” Roberts said. “I did have a conversation today. So, yeah, we’ve managed that one going forward.”
The decision arrives after a regular season where the Dodgers largely navigated the ABS challenge system with stability. As a team, Los Angeles ranked 10th in overturns vs. expected (8.4), tied for eighth in success rate (51%), and tied for 13th in runs vs. expected (0.1) while utilizing the 16th-most batter challenges in MLB at 159.
Pages, however, stood as a significant outlier. Among 182 batters with at least 10 challenges, he ranked 142nd in overturns vs. expected (-3.0) and 169th in runs vs. expected (-1.3). Despite these metrics. his 25 total challenges ranked 33rd-most among all hitters. a tendency that prompted Roberts to intervene previously after a seven-game losing streak in August. Following an August 12 miss against the Royals, Pages had ceased challenging entirely for the remainder of the regular season.
“I think the team strategy, it’s different,” Roberts said. “I think some guys have a better propensity. a better success rate understanding leverage. understanding their ability to know the strike zone. Because I trust Mookie on the ball away, but he was playing the long game, which I respect. So it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.”.
With the ABS Challenge system making its high-stakes debut—having already clinched a Wild Card Game 2 for the Phillies against the Braves—the pressure to use the mechanic strategically is immense. For the Dodgers. the math of the postseason is now more restrictive. and for Andy Pages. the challenge button is officially off-limits.
Dave Roberts Andy Pages Dodgers ABS challenge system MLB playoffs NLDS baseball strategy