Calls Mount for Umpire’s Firing After Giants’ Loss to Twins

Fans and pundits who still object to the Automated Ball-Strike System may want to watch a replay of Saturday’s San Francisco Giants-Minnesota Twins game.

Home plate umpire Adrian Johnson missed 22 of 130 pitches in the Twins’ 2-1 victory. According to the popular @UmpireAuditor X/Twitter account, Johnson’s 83.1% correct call rate is the worst single-game performance of any umpire this season.

Umpire Auditor found that Johnson missed 17 calls through six innings, 13 of which went against the Twins. Johnson ejected Twins manager Rocco Baldelli with two outs in the fifth.

“When they fall below 95% they need to be removed back down to the minor or leagues,” one X user wrote. “Umpires need to compete for positions.”

Added another: “The guy is horrendous. This is a regular occurrence. MLB doesn’t care.”

According to Umpire Scorecards, Johnson entered play Saturday with a 94.25 correct call rate. That placed him among the top half of the league’s 84 umpires, though he’ll likely suffer a significant drop in the ratings.

Baldelli especially took issue with a 2-1 call on Twins shortstop Carlos Correa. Johnson ruled the pitch a strike, subsequently ejecting Baldelli and angering Twins fans on social media.

“Adrian Johnson was an absolute embarrassment to the game tonight,” read one post. “The naked eye saw it, Rocco saw it and was ejected for it, and … the stats back it up. Pathetic.”

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and home plate umpire Adrian Johnson argueMatt Blewett-Imagn Images

“It’s been a joke of a strike zone all night,” another user wrote, adding that the Major League Baseball Umpires Association “needs to address how bad this has been.”

Although Major League Baseball tested the ABS in spring training, it is unclear if the league will implement it either later this season or during the playoffs.

For now, one X user proposed a temporary solution to prevent Johnson from turning heads on social media again.

“[Keep] him behind third base maybe,” they wrote.

Calls Mount for Umpire’s Firing After Giants’ Loss to Twins

Tags: