Fever BaseballFor collectors and stat nerdsFuture Value Radar (FVR) · On the record
RECORD: 4 HIT · 5 MISS · 8 OPEN
Support the paperGet the Digest
THE TAPE · 30-NIGHT CARD MOVES VS THE HOBBY · AS OF SEPTEMBER 6, 2026◆▲ PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG — FLAGSHIP PSA 10 +109.9% $181◆▲ SAL STEWART — FLAGSHIP PSA 10 +92.9% $171◆▲ ETHAN SALAS — FLAGSHIP PSA 10 +56% $41.74◆▲ JORDAN LAWLAR — FLAGSHIP PSA 10 +55.3% $124◆▲ ELI WHITE — ROOKIE PSA 10 +55% $46.50◆▲ DRAKE BALDWIN — FLAGSHIP PSA 10 +52.6% $59.90◆▲ LUIS ARRAEZ — ROOKIE PSA 10 +43.6% $48.68◆▼ BLAZE JORDAN — ROOKIE PSA 10 -41.8% $14.53◆▼ ZACK WHEELER — FLAGSHIP PSA 10 -40.2% $580◆▲ PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG — ROOKIE PSA 10 +37% $71.93◆
Blue Notes · Umpire Grade2026-09-05

LAA @ PIT

Home plate: Vic Carapazza

“One of those nights the challenge system was invented for.”

C+
Umpire Grade
90.9% accurate
0.4
Run Favor
runs, LAA
2
ABS Overturns
of 6 reviewed

What this shows — how Vic Carapazza called the 143 pitches that were taken (no swing), graded against the tracked rulebook strike zone. He got 130 right. Below, only his misses are plotted, alongside every pitch the ABS (Automated Ball-Strike System) reviewed on a challenge.

The zone, as he called it

Challenge 1: Rafael Flores Jr. — the ump called it a ball, the robot ruled strike (OVERTURNED — ump overruled).1Challenge 2: Jake Mangum — the ump called it a strike, the robot ruled strike (upheld — ump confirmed).2Challenge 3: Rafael Flores Jr. — the ump called it a ball, the robot ruled strike (OVERTURNED — ump overruled).3Challenge 4: Moisés Ballesteros — the ump called it a ball, the robot ruled ball (upheld — ump confirmed).4Challenge 5: Moisés Ballesteros — the ump called it a ball, the robot ruled ball (upheld — ump confirmed).5Challenge 6: Rafael Flores Jr. — the ump called it a ball, the robot ruled ball (upheld — ump confirmed).6
strike called ballball called strikeABS overturnedABS upheld

The calls that moved the game

  1. 1+0.39▼6 · 2-2 strike called ball
    Esmerlyn Valdez vs Yusei Kikuchi
  2. 2+0.39▲7 · 2-2 strike called ball
    Denzer Guzman vs Isaac Mattson
  3. 3+0.28▲1 · 1-2 strike called ball
    Zach Neto vs Braxton Ashcraft

Run impact from the count run-value table: a missed strike three is worth far more than one on 3-0.

ABS — the Automated Ball-Strike System

6 pitches went to the robots · 2 overturned (ump overruled) · 4 upheld (ump confirmed). This is the ABS system’s own measurement — Hawk-Eye optical ball-tracking, not our model.

  1. 1Rafael Flores Jr. — ump said ball, robot ruled strike: overturned.
  2. 2Jake Mangum — ump said strike, robot ruled strike: upheld.
  3. 3Rafael Flores Jr. — ump said ball, robot ruled strike: overturned.
  4. 4Moisés Ballesteros — ump said ball, robot ruled ball: upheld.
  5. 5Moisés Ballesteros — ump said ball, robot ruled ball: upheld.
  6. 6Rafael Flores Jr. — ump said ball, robot ruled ball: upheld.

Our tracked-rulebook zone matched the ABS ruling on 5 of 6 — a zone-definition gap (ABS grades a standardized, height-based zone), not our error.

Paste the link anywhere — the card previews on its own. Or take it with you.

Post on X