Padres All-Star Calls Out Umpires for Being 'Terrible'

Maren Angus-Coombs | Feb 24, 2025

Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez (4) and outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) look on in the dugout before game five against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Luis Arraez has picked up exactly where he left off for the San Diego Padres this spring.

The three-time batting champion hasn't wasted any time getting back in the swing of things as he recorded two singles on four pitches in his Cactus League debut.

Arraez did win the batting title last year but saw a change in his on-base percentage. It fell 38 points from the previous two seasons and his walk rate was only 3.1 percent.

This season, Arraez has set a goal to walk more — but for that to happen, he has to be patient. However, he recently called out umpires for being "terrible" and it doesn't sound like he is going to leave his fate in their hands.

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“Last year, the umpires were terrible,” Arraez said last week at the Peoria Sports Complex. “Everybody knows that. The umpires call everything (a strike). We want to walk too. But they don’t help us. They help the pitchers. This year I am coming to take a lot of walks. Let’s see if the umpires are coming good this year. I don’t want to put excuses, but they were bad last year.”

The data, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, actually shows MLB umpires were not much worse or much better in 2024 than any other recent seasons. In fact, Arraez and the Padres were not singled out or penalized more than other hitters with strike calls on pitches outside the zone.

Arraez is finally healthy after playing through a torn thumb ligament last season. He is not only letting umpires how he feels but he wants opponents to know that he isn't holding back anymore at the plate.

“I don’t feel anything in my thumb,” Arraez said. “It is a good sign, you know. So I think it’s a lot of problem for the pitchers this year.”

“I got jammed yesterday, and I didn’t feel anything,” Arraez added. “That’s a good sign. … I feel like I got a new thumb.”

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How he won a batting title without a thumb is baffling even to manager Mike Shildt.

“How he won a batting title without basically a thumb … was beyond impressive,” Shildt said. “To still mentally compete with that kind of physical ailment and compete well and still lead us into the playoffs, very, very impressive. … And now he looks healthy, and watch out.”

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.