It’s almost May, and the New York Yankees’ second baseman, Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s, strike zone perception is not getting any better. MLB teams are taking full advantage of the newly introduced Automated Ball Strike Challenge system this season. Admittedly, some are faring worse than others. The Yankees currently rank 22nd in the league with a 50% success rate, and Chisholm’s blown challenges are a big reason why.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has failed spectacularly with the ABS system. He has recorded only one successful challenge out of seven so far. As he wasted two more in the Astros series, Boone might as well have banned him from using those. During a conversation with the Talkin’ Yanks, skipper Aaron Boone revealed that he has decided not to take away the privilege from Jazz yet. However, he has addressed the issue.

“I don’t want it to go away completely. I don’t want it to be a situation at a key spot in the game where it’s important to have that in your pocket,” revealed Boone, when he was asked whether he had revoked Chisholm Jr.’s challenging rites. “But he and I have spoken about some things.”

The 28-year-old second baseman’s judgment of the strike zone had been almost ridiculously off against the Astros. On Sunday, Chisholm Jr challenged a cutter from Spencer Arrighetti that was called a strike in the second inning of the game. The ABS Challenge system upheld the call as the ball was safely inside the strike zone. The Yankees lost the game, 7-4.

This follows another bizarre call he challenged against the Astros on Friday. The second baseman challenged Houston reliever Bryan Abreu’s fastball, which was called a third strike at the top of the ninth. While the ball was at least near the outside of the strike zone on Sunday, Abreu’s pitch was smack dab in the middle of it.

While Chisholm Jr. appeared surprised by the verdict, catcher J.C. Escarra believes Jazz should have known better. Escarra holds a 75% success rate in ABS Challenges. He has succeeded three out of four times so far this season.

“If it’s a whole ball in the zone, you should know it’s a strike,” Escarra reportedly said.

MLB allows only two ABS Challenges to each team per game. And as the Yankees skipper highlighted, it’s important not to waste them, like in Chisholm’s case, as they might not have one when it’s genuinely needed.

“You just gotta laugh, at that point,” Chisholm Jr. stated, following his challenging mishaps. “We were winning, it’s a kid’s game. You got to laugh at some things.”

Though Chisholm Jr. can brush it off after the Yankees won the game 12-4 on Friday, it must be noted that such mistakes can even cost the game. However, he compensated for it with his quality at-bats. On Friday, he went 3-for-4, clocking a homer and four RBIs.

It’s not only Chisholm Jr. who has made notable, challenging gaffes. Jose Caballero holds a five out of 10 success record at the moment.

For his multiple mess-ups, Chisholm Jr. has imposed a penalty upon himself.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. punished himself for continual mishaps

According to ESPN, the Yankees’ hitters have only 42.9% success rate when it comes to the ABS Challenge system. Among them, Captain Aaron Judge has successfully challenged 3 out of 4 times. But Chisholm Jr.’s success rate is a poor 14% so far in the season.

The Yankees players have a lighthearted clubhouse policy among themselves regarding bad ABS challenges. For each poor challenge, a player is fined $500. However, Chisholm Jr. believed his errors were way too bad to be covered by $500. So he fined himself $1000 instead.

“I put that as myself fining myself,” Chisholm said. “I got to do something for the team worth at least $1,000 after that,” he reportedly remarked.

As the Yankees face the Texas Rangers in the series finale, Chisholm Jr. might just want to hold himself back a little from challenging. While Chisholm and Caballero have struggled for the Yankees, Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles and James Wood of the Nationals are among the worst in the league. The duo has lost five out of the six times they have challenged a call.

As the ABS Challenge system thrives, these players will get plenty of opportunities to redeem themselves.