Every season, it seems like umpiring across Major League Baseball is getting worse. And yet, the powers at be have no plans to do anything about it in the near future.
While an automated strike zone is getting tested at various levels of the minor leagues, it was not included among the possible rule changes in the new CBA. On top of that, we learned that Major League umpires are evaluated on such a lenient scale that they even have Angel Hernandez scoring a 96 percent.
But something really has to change because a sequence like Wednesday’s Marcel Ozuna at-bat simply cannot happen.
Marcell Ozuna strikes out on three straight balls
(via @umpjob) pic.twitter.com/5HUdstnIwl
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 4, 2022
Facing Tylor Megill in the fourth inning, Ozuna struck out on three pitches. The Braves left fielder didn’t swing at any of those pitches because, well, all three pitches were out of the strike zone. Basically, home plate umpire Brian O’Nora called Ozuna out on what was three consecutive balls.
Of course, umpires don’t like it when players argue calls mid-at-bat, but O’Nora didn’t do Ozuna any favors there at all. To make it worse, MLB will probably see those calls as correct given the two-inch buffer zone.
MLB fans had plenty to say about the botched umpiring.
