(Paywall-free, originally from The Athletic)

Long and fun dive into the way ABS and pitch challenges will work (as well as the way the strike zone keeps changing).

Small but interesting unintended consequence:

A moment of silence for the K Zone — Do you miss that little box on TV yet, the one that showed whether every pitch dotted the strike zone (or not)? It’s been missing on most broadcasts this spring. And if it returns, it won’t be what you’ve been used to all these years.

If you’re watching at home, the new rules dictate that the graphic can’t indicate if a pitch was a strike or a ball. And if you’re watching inside the ballpark itself, it will either be gone completely or be heavily delayed.

So why is that? Well, in a sport where players are supposed to challenge pitches instantaneously and not get any help – especially from friends in the park who just might be tracking whether a pitch dotted that little box – those on-screen zones weren’t cool anymore. And don’t you hate it when that happens?