Juan Soto, a prominent baseball figure with a remarkable track record, found himself at the heart of a heated debate. His strikeout during a recent match, despite all pitches missing the zone, has sparked a wave of criticism.
In a match that took place on April 24, 2024, Juan Soto faced an unexpected development. Despite not swinging at any of the six pitches thrown by Oakland’s Paul Blackburn, Soto was declared out by umpire John Tumpane.
The contentious call occurred during the fifth inning of a match between the Yankees and the A’s. Notably, none of Blackburn’s pitches found the strike zone. Despite this, Tumpane ruled that half of them had clipped the zone, leading to Soto’s strikeout.
Incidents like this one raise questions about the state of MLB umpiring in 2024. Critics argue that this incident highlights the need for robot umpires to avoid such debatable calls.
Soto, known for his exceptional eye, thought he had walked after the fifth pitch. His frustration was evident as he tossed his bat in the air after being called out on a borderline pitch.
Yankees announcer Ryan Ruocco commented on the incident, noting that despite not seeing a strike, Soto was declared out. This highlights the severity of the umpiring blunder.
Such controversial incidents only strengthen the call for the introduction of robot umpires. Critics argue that Tumpane’s clear miss on the calls cost Soto a chance to reach base.
Interestingly, this incident followed another controversial decision. Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, was ejected from the game in the first inning after home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt mistook a fan’s taunt for the manager.
With two outs and none on, the Yankees were leading 4-2 when Soto walked to the plate. After Blackburn missed the plate with his first two pitches, the umpire show took over, leading to the contentious call.
The most debated moment of Soto’s at-bat came when Blackburn’s 92-mph fastball clearly missed the zone. Despite this, Tumpane ruled that it clipped the zone, sparking widespread criticism.
“Gets the call way off the plate and it’s 3-2,” – Ruocco
The final pitch could be argued to be borderline, as the very tip of the ball hit the zone according to MLB.com and Baseball Savant zones. However, the Yes Network box showed it below the zone, adding fuel to the debate.
Soto, visibly displeased, flipped his bat casually in the air before taking off his gloves, seemingly wondering how he was deprived of a potential 20th walk in 24 games.
Despite Soto’s impressive stats, ranking third in MLB in walks and boasting an AL-best .432 on-base percentage, this incident showed that sometimes, even the best get robbed. It’s a glaring indication of the need for change in MLB’s umpiring system.
