Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Robo-umpires cannot be integrated into Major League Baseball soon enough, as Monday night’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays produced what some baseball fans are calling the worst ball/strike call in the history of the sport.
In the Monday, July 28 game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Brian Walsh made a call that went immediately viral on social media for how terrible it was.
With no outs in the top of the fourth and the Orioles up 6-3, right-hander Zach Eflin faced a 1-0 count against Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement. Eflin followed with a 90 mph sinker right down the heart of the plate — a virtually perfect pitch — and yet Walsh called it a ball.
Umpire Brian Walsh made what some are saying is the ‘worst ball call’ in MLB history
maybe the worst call in baseball history pic.twitter.com/wE3qk3LLtM
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 29, 2025
The single worst ball call in the history of baseball. pic.twitter.com/YpfbEOcSWJ
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) July 29, 2025
Walsh’s miss wasn’t the only horrendous call that happened during Monday night’s MLB action, as New York Mets’ star Juan Soto was also the victim of an egregious miss by the home plate umpire.
Juan Soto had a lot to say after two strike calls and had to be held back by Pete Alonso and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who was eventually ejected pic.twitter.com/5M6dFm282b
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 29, 2025
This umpire is not a fan of correct calls pic.twitter.com/9VinOSfahV
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 29, 2025
Moments like these will only increase excitement for the incoming adoption of an automated ball-strike (ABS) system at the big league level, which was tested out during this year’s All-Star Game and was largely a massive success.
The ABS utilizes Hawk Eye technology, which is the same used for goal-line decision in European soccer and out-of-bounds calls in tennis. MLB has been testing the ABS system in the Minor Leagues since the 2021 season and has been featured in Triple-A games since 2022.
“Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they’re successful. Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher or batter, and the request must come right after the pitch. To signal a challenge, the pitcher, catcher or batter will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know. No help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed.” [via MLB]
According to reports, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred plans to propose installing the ABS system into MLB play for the 2026 regular season