Getty Image / Mark Cunningham
If you’re even a casual MLB fan, you’ve probably heard of Angel Hernandez. The longtime umpire is often chastised on social media for questionable calls, especially beyond home plate.
That was the case Friday night. Angel Hernandez was behind the plate as the Texas Rangers took on the Houston Astros, and he proceeded to embarrass himself completely.
With the Rangers leading 8-1 in the 4th, the bases loaded, and big-time prospect Wyatt Langford up to bat, Angel Hernandez rang up the Texas slugger on three pitches that were clearly outside. Take a look.
Strike one. Strike two. Strike three.
How is Angel Hernandez still an MLB umpire? pic.twitter.com/YjGWsAjWRs
— Welcome to the Ump Show (@umpjob) April 13, 2024
C’mon, man. I understand pitchers throw harder than ever with more movement than ever. Plus, catchers are better at receiving pitches and framing them for strikes than they’ve ever been.
But, these three pitches aren’t even close. It’s embarrassing for everyone involved in the game and the entire league. The league loses illegitimacy when calls like this happen.
It’s not as if he does this all the time, either. Seemingly, he occasionally decides to make a few egregious calls, just to remind everyone who is in charge. The MLB’s umpire union is strong, and it’s practically impossible to eliminate an umpire for poor performance. But, he needs to go.
At the end of the day, all he’s doing is making it more likely that MLB goes to an electronic strike zone sooner rather than later.