Someone had to be the first.
It turns out that the answer to the trivia question will be Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies.
The question: Who had the first-ever ABS challenge in MLB playoff history?
He’ll also be the answer to which player had the first successful challenge in the postseason.
This is the first year with the ABS (automated ball-strike) challenge system in Major League Baseball. It had been tested in Triple-A and came to the majors this year.
It has gotten pretty strong reviews overall, and it will now show up on crucial pitches as the baseball calendar heads toward October.
Ozzie Albies History
No one challenged in the first inning, or in the top of the second.
Albies, hitting with a runner on third and one out in the bottom of the second, got the chance.
He was facing Phillies lefty Jesus Luzardo, and the 1-0 pitch to Albies was a high fastball.
It was called a strike, but Albies didn’t think so, so he tapped the top of his helmet to challenge.
This is how it worked out:
The first postseason ABS challenge in playoff history:
Won by Ozzie Albies ✅ pic.twitter.com/C47UWohpZ5
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 29, 2026
The ball was comfortably out of the zone. It wasn’t one of the borderline challenges that can be more frustrating. It was clear this one was right to be overturned, as the graphic on the screen showed it was 2.5 inches above the top of the strike zone.
Albies may have helped his cause here simply by being short. He’s officially 5-foot-7, and that makes the height of his strike zone lower than it would be for taller hitters.
Regardless of the reason the call was missed by the umpire, it’s a good thing this call could be gotten right. That’s what matters.
What Happened Next?
Albies’ challenge ended up being quite important.
Later in his plate appearance, he worked a walk.
And while the Phillies eventually got the lead runner in a rundown when Austin Riley hit, Albies remained on base. That set him up to come around to score on a Mike Yastrzemski hit that tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning.
Albies might’ve reached base even without the challenge, but it didn’t hurt his cause.
It was the first challenge ever in the MLB playoffs, but it sure won’t be the last.
Each team gets two incorrect challenges each game, but as long as they keep getting challenges right, they can keep using the system. Albies is batting 1.000 on his challenges under the bright playoff lights so far.
Braves’ Ozzie Albies Makes Playoff Baseball History