Hunter Wendelstedt, ranked a shocking 81st out of 91 umpires this season, absolutely cratered on Sunday, missing a mind-boggling 20 calls behind the plate during the New York Yankees’ 4-3 extra-innings win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Seriously, 20 calls!
When “Bad Day at the Office” Is an Understatement
We all have rough days, right? But for a home plate umpire, a “rough day” can literally swing a game, and Wendelstedt had one of the roughest. Not only did he miss 20 calls in that Yankees-Blue Jays slugfest, but a massive nine of those calls were overturned. Think about that for a second: nine overturned calls. It gets worse, this wasn’t some fluke. This was his *second* game this season where he had nine or more calls reversed. The guy called the worst game of the entire day on Sunday, and it was the 16th worst single-game performance by an umpire all season. You have to wonder what’s going on back there.
What This Means for the Game
You hear about ABS challenges saving umpires from arguments, but when a guy misses 20 calls and has nine overturned, it makes you question how much even that tech can help. The Yankees pulled out the win in extra innings, 4-3, but you know both dugouts were absolutely fuming about the strike zone all afternoon. This isn’t just about a single game, it’s about the consistency and fairness we expect from every single contest. When an umpire ranked 81st out of 91 can have a day like that, it just leaves you shaking your head. Baseball deserves better, and so do the players giving their all out there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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