There’s no denying that Major League umpires have an incredibly difficult job. They’re tasked with calling balls and strikes on pitches with an unprecedented combination of velocity and movement. And with the strike zone graphics on every broadcast, fans immediately see when a call is missed.
It’s why some umpires — like Angel Hernandez — are among the most heavily criticized officials in U.S. sports. But for as bad as Hernandez performs on a near nightly basis, Major League Baseball doesn’t see it that way at all.
Just look at what happened last week with Hernandez’s putting up a horrific night behind the plate, leading to a colorful outburst from Kyle Schwarber. Umpire evaluators on Twitter had Hernandez scoring a putrid 85 to 88 percent on the night. It was bad.
