What should have been a celebration of baseball’s global reach in Mexico City quickly turned into a firestorm of controversy, as MLB forced two teams to play in the technological dark ages.

“There’s no ABS for the Mexico City series,” a social media post read. “#Dbacks really wish there were. Adrian del Castillo goes down looking on a pitch that was a ball.” 

As part of the MLB World Tour’s effort to grow the game, the Diamondbacks and Padres are playing a two-game series in Mexico City’s Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú. However, the stadium’s infrastructure lacks the Hawk-Eye technology and reliable internet required to operate the league’s new ABS system.

As a result, both teams will play both games with the option to challenge an on-field umpire’s call. Game 1 saw several moments that needed the system, most notably the strikeout of Adrian del Castillo in the bottom of the 7th. 

The D-backs were trailing 4-5, and Castillo struck out looking with two outs already. Although it appeared to be a ball, he could tap his helmet because of the lack of technology. 

On-field umpires can make mistakes. That is why MLB made the ABS challenge system mandatory in September 2025 and introduced it in the 2026 regular season. With its help, players overturned almost 54% of umpire calls. 

“The 💩 show continues! Rob Manfred will be remembered as the worst @MLB Commissioner ever!” Jeff Frye commented. And hundreds of voices joined him to vent their frustration with the league. 

Exception for ABS in Mexico City sparks fairness debate for MLB

“It’s not like this game just showed up on the schedule out of nowhere. It’s been planned for a very, very long time. They should have been ready to go with the ABS, or no games in Mexico City⚾️,” wrote a fan. 

Since the inauguration of the Mexico City Series in 1996, it has been a minor but important part of MLB’s global promotion. And regular-season games, particularly those played outside the usual locations (USA and Canada), are decided well beforehand.  

“Honestly can’t believe that changed the outcome,” one user commented.

Considering Castillo survived the strikeout, the D-backs might have tied or even managed a lead since Corbin Carroll was on first base and Ketel Marte was on second when it happened. Even though it’s wishful thinking, the possibilities aren’t easy to ignore from the fans’ perspectives.

“Imagine if one of these games is decided by a miscalled strike and one of these teams misses the playoffs because of it,” a fan posed a legitimate question. 

The Padres were 17-8, sitting at the top of the NL West, while the Diamondbacks were third with 14-11 before Game 1. Had the D-backs won, they would have narrowed the gap with the Dodgers at the top. 

Two games out of a 162-game season seem to have little impact on the postseason. But the NL West shows one of the most competitive situations this season. And losing even a single game might have some say about punching the October ticket. 

Many people see this series as a disadvantage for the teams involved and are already questioning the league’s fairness.

“MLB should take away ABS for 2 games for the rest of the league too. It’s bu—it that neither the Dbacks or Padres have the ability to use it for this Mexico City series. Either everybody gets it or nobody does,” one fan said.

“Funny, because the Liga Mexicana has an ABS Challenge System. It must be a different system than the one MLB uses, and thus MLB won’t use it,” another user took a dig at MLB. 

Liga Mexicana de Baseball introduced ABS, the same system this year, aligning with MLB. 

MLB has played for decades without automated calls. So introducing a system only to selectively remove it has left fans and players questioning the league’s commitment to competitive fairness.