Ángel Hernández Blasted For Posting Worst Performance By an MLB Umpire in 5 Years
Thursday afternoon's showdown between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals finished in near-record time.
While the lack of baserunners and two efficient starting pitchers can be credited with that result to some extent, home plate umpire Ángel Hernández certainly played a role as well.
Of the 34 pitches Hernández called strikes, 12 were actually balls, good for a 65% called strike accuracy. The league average is 88%.
Overall, Umpire Scorecards rated Hernández's accuracy at 84% and his consistency at 91%. His accuracy was the lowest by any MLB umpire in five years.
Umpire Scorecards estimated that Hernández's blown calls cost the Nationals 0.11 runs, while they cost the Pirates 1.01 runs.
Pittsburgh went on to win 2-0 regardless of Hernández's 15 missed calls. His strike zone was noticeably tall and wide, but the Pirates were able to overcome it thanks to two solo home runs from center fielder Jack Suwinski and first baseman Alfonso Rivas.
Hernández has a reputation for making a few errant calls every once in a while, as he is routinely rated as one of MLB's least accurate umpires.
The 62-year-old Hernández missed most of the 2023 season due to back surgery, eventually going on a minor league rehab assignment in July to get readjusted to the game following his extended absence. Ironically, he made headlines for his inconsistent and poor calls in Triple-A, as well as upon his return to the big leagues.
Pittsburgh and Washington are both going to miss the postseason, and the team that was hurt more by Hernández's calls – the Pirates – won anyways. Still, Hernández caught plenty of flack for once again standing out in the wrong way Thursday.
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