{"id":1910,"date":"2026-06-04T09:33:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1910"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:33:03","slug":"the-red-sox-have-been-baseballs-worst-team-on-challenges-this-season-and-heres-what-theyre-doing-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1910","title":{"rendered":"The Red Sox have been baseball\u2019s worst team on challenges this season, and here\u2019s what they\u2019re doing about it"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Royals seem an unlikely source of inspiration for the Red Sox. After all, Kansas City is one of the few American League teams with a worse record than Boston. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more The A.J. Brown trade comes with risk, but unlike other teams in town, the Patriots are doing everything they can to win<\/a><\/p>\n

Nonetheless, prior to the series finale at Kauffman Stadium on May 20, the Royals ran through a drill that captured their opponent\u2019s attention. <\/span><\/p>\n

Four hours before the game, their catchers squatted behind home plate and practiced receiving pitches fired from a machine to the edges of the strike zone. The catchers would identify the pitch as a ball or strike, then turn to a nearby iPad to see whether their \u201ccall\u201d had been accurate \u2014 a simulation of the automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS) implemented this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Royals have done this all season. They track the results, which serve as the basis of a friendly competition among their catchers. The practice was notable given that the Royals have been one of baseball\u2019s best teams on challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

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