Through MLB's first weekend, Salvador Perez and the Royals are ABS winners

Salvador Perez and the Kansas City Royals have been baseball's best at utilizing their robot challenges through the first weekend of the Automated Ball-Strike System.

Perez topped all catchers by going 4-0 on challenges, while San Francisco's Heliot Ramos and Cincinnati's Eugenio Suárez were the only batters who went 2-0 — Suárez won his appeals on consecutive pitches. Three-time MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is 3-1 on challenges.

Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. was the only batter who went 0-2.

Kansas City and Arizona were the only perfect teams, with the Royals 4-0 and Arizona 3-0. Houston was 0-6 and St. Louis was 0-3.

Many teams have tried to save their challenges for high-leverage situations.

“1-1 counts. Counts that are going to end the at-bat. Those are big challenge times,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson, whose team went 4-3.

Challenges had a 53.7% success rate through 47 games. There were 175 challenges, an average of 3.7 per game.

Catchers succeeded on 59 of 92 challenges for a 64% rate, but batters on 33 of 78 for a 42% rate. There were just five challenges by pitchers, with Baltimore's Ryan Helsley and the Athletics' Hogan Harris winning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Edwin Díaz, Houston's Roddery Muñoz and Philadelphia's Zach Pop losing.

Cincinnati batters went 6-0, while Braves batters were 0-4.

“We have guidelines that we think are strategic and give us a good idea of when we want to challenge," said Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable, whose team is 4 for 9. "A mid-at-bat challenge is different than a potential strikeout or walk.

C.B. Bucknor had the poorest ABS results among umpires when six of eight challenges of his calls were successful during Cincinnati's 6-5, 11-inning win on Saturday. All six overturned calls involved strikes being changed to balls. The two confirmed calls involved a ball and a strike.

Boston's Alex Cora was ejected in that game by Bucknor for arguing a checked swing call.

“I feel bad for them because everybody has a bad day," Thomson said of the umpires. "The last thing you want to see is somebody get embarrassed. I don’t care who it is, player, coach, umpire. I don’t want to ever see anybody get embarrassed playing this game.”

Minnesota’s Derek Shelton became the first manager ejected for arguing an ABS call on Sunday. He was tossed in the ninth inning of a game against Baltimore after complaining that Helsley waited too long to signal for a review.

Under the ABS system that started this season, teams can appeal strike zone decisions to a system based on 12 Hawk-Eye cameras that measure whether any part of the ball crosses the strike zone with accuracy of about one-sixth of an inch.

“I kind of believe there’s going to be a change with the percentage of the ball that’s touching," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. "When the ball just nicks it, should that be a strike?”

AP Sports Writers Dan Gelston and Steve Megargee contributed to this report.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

A call is overturned to a walk by the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System, displayed on the stadium screens, after Cincinnati Reds' Will Benson challenged at pitch result during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Cincinnati, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout reacts after striking out as the ABS replay shows on the screen during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) confirms a call after Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson challenged (pitch result), call on the field, Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran walks during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Koa Peat has been a winner throughout his basketball career.

He won four state titles in high school in Arizona and became the first player to win four international gold medals at the junior level. So when Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd was trying to entice Peat to play for the Wildcats, he pitched him on helping the school end a 25-year Final Four drought.

“That was my recruiting pitch,” Lloyd said. “Four, four, and four. Let’s do it. The dude, he’s amazing. His ability to perform the way he did in these moments, you know, he’s been in a lot of them.”

Peat fulfilled the wish in his first season with Arizona, leading the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001 with a memorable performance in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. Arizona will take on Michigan in the national semifinals on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Peat scored 21 points in a Sweet 16 victory over Arkansas and added 20 more in the Elite Eight against Purdue to win the Most Outstanding Player of the region and become just the sixth freshman ever to score at least 20 points in wins in those two rounds, according to Sportradar. Peat joined a list with Kon Knueppel, Derrick Rose, Joseph Forte, Jalen Rose and Kenny Anderson.

Now Peat will try to do what those precocious stars couldn't and win Arizona's second national title to go with the one from 1997 when Mike Bibby was the star freshman on coach Lute Olson's squad.

“I saw a lot of the past legends that played for Arizona, and Mike Bibby, he was a big mentor to me,” Peat said. “He went to the Final Four, won the championship. When you put on the Arizona jersey, you know you’re playing for people that played before you. So it’s bigger than yourself; it’s the program.”

Peat arrived at Arizona last fall as a five-star recruit and has delivered on all the high expectations that come with it.

He scored 30 points in the opener in a win against defending-champion Florida, had 16 points and 12 rebounds in a nonconference win over Connecticut and returned after missing three games in February to score 21 points in the Big 12 title win against Houston.

“Just going out there, playing my game, trusting my teammates, them finding me in open spots, and staying the course,” he said. “Just keep playing. That’s really it.”

Peat hadn't followed the March struggles of Arizona's basketball program closely despite growing up in the state. He spent more time watching his four older brothers play football and two older sisters play basketball.

Peat could have followed the family path in football with his father, Todd, having played nine seasons in the NFL and his brother, Andrus, having just finished his 10th season in the NFL.

“I played a lot of sports growing up, baseball, football and basketball. So from a young age I was playing a lot of sports, around a lot of athletes in my family,” Koa said. “But honestly, I just truthfully fell in love with basketball. Especially during quarantine, all I was doing was training and just working out and really working on my body. I slimmed down a little bit, and I just thought basketball was like the best choice for me. Especially now you could play a long time playing basketball. Football’s a different story. I had great support from my family members in my choice in playing basketball, and I think I’ve made the right choice, for sure.”

The Wildcats sure think so, and now they wouldn't still be playing without him.

“They call him Mr. Arizona,” Lloyd said. “Koa is special.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Arizona forward Koa Peat cuts down the net after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)

Arizona forward Koa Peat, center, shoots past Purdue center Oscar Cluff, left, during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) dunks during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Purdue, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)

Arizona forward Koa Peat celebrates after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)