The worst umpire in Major League Baseball is gone. All hail the new worst umpire in Major League Baseball… which is, who exactly?
As much as we’re thrilled Angel Hernandez can never hurt one of our teams behind the plate again, there will be many coming for his crown, whether they want to or not. Fortunately, there are already quite a few candidates in the running to replace him.
Long-time baseball fans can probably already list 10 or so umps who “hate” their team, but we’re going to use a little bit of data to back up our candidates. Of course, it’s more than that. To be the next Angel Hernandez takes more than just bad calls. You need an ump so indignant at their own incorrectness, so moody as to throw out the same player twice in one game and so stubborn that even the idea of someone arguing with him sets them into a fit of rage.
Which leaves us with five candidates all baseball fans should fear.
Let’s crown MLB’s newest villain behind the plate.
5
Manny Gonzalez
Manny Gonzalez is a solid option.
He’s been around long enough that casual fans can at least recognize his name, die hard fans probably fear it and the fancy stats back up his awfulness. According to Umpire Scorecard, Gonzalez ranks in the first(!) percentile for accuracy, 14th percentile for expected accuracy and is in the 33rd percentile for consistency.
But he doesn’t quite have the je ne sais quoi of some of the other names on this list.
4
Rob Drake
Now we’re getting warmer.
Rob Drake is an instantly identifiable name. You hear this man is behind the plate and you’re instantly on edge. And for good reason! Drake is 14th percentile in accuracy and 16th percentile in consistency.
He also does stuff like this.
3
Laz Diaz
Listen, I know. I’m just as shocked as anyone that Diaz isn’t No. 1.
He has all the telltale signs: He’s a household name, has argued with just about every manager over the last decade and makes baffling calls like these:
He may very well top this list one day. But not today. Not with an accuracy that ranks in the 24th percentile. That’s far too good for our purposes.
2
CB Bucknor
Let’s assume these rankings are a little fluid and CB could take over the top spot any day, because we sure know he has as strong a case as anyone. He’s in the second percentile in accuracy, second in expected accuracy and 25th percentile in consistency.
Does he look even worse on tape? You bet.
Bucknor should be No. 1. Alas, there is another challenger with an even more disgusting resume. Someone who’s gaffes go far beyond balls and strikes. Someone named…
1
Hunter Wendelstedt
Hunter Wendelstedt didn’t just waltz into his role as MLB’s newly minted worst ump. He more than earned it. He’s bad at calling balls and strikes. He’s extremely defensive. And he refuses to take the blame even when he’s proven wrong.
Wendelstedt ranked in the sixth percentile in accuracy and 41st percentile in consistency. But his crowning achievement so far is tossing Yankees manager Aaron Boone out of a game for something a fan shouted from the stands. Wendelstedt is breaking new ground when it comes to bad umping. We applaud his ingenuity (with boos, of course).
All hail the new king.
