Passan names Pirates' Ramirez for worst ABS challenge of 2026

ESPN's Jeff Passan says a sixth-inning challenge by Pittsburgh reliever Yohan Ramirez, who missed the plate by 5.5 inches, was the worst of MLB's first ABS season.

ESPN analyst Jeff Passan has named Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez as the author of the worst ABS challenge of the 2026 season, the first year MLB has allowed hitters, pitchers and catchers to dispute ball and strike calls during an at-bat.

The moment came in the sixth inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves. With the Pirates trailing 6-4, two outs, a full count and the bases empty, Ramirez threw a 96.7 mph fastball inside to catcher Drake Baldwin that was called a ball. Convinced he had caught the corner, Ramirez challenged the call and walked toward the dugout expecting an overturn.

The review showed he had missed the plate by 5.5 inches, making the challenge clearly incorrect. Passan noted that Ramirez entered the season with a 2.93 ERA and that pitchers' challenges are wrong 60.7% of the time.

The mistake has become a teaching example of when not to use a challenge, though the system overall has produced dramatic moments in its debut campaign.