MLB ump’s blown strike call overturned by ABS leaves announcer stunned: ‘Yikes’
This is why ABS exists and should be celebrated by baseball followers.
During Thursday’s Tigers-Braves recreation, home-plate umpire Roberto Ortiz was utterly uncovered by the pc umpire, who caught probably the most egregious missed calls because the ABS system was carried out on opening day.
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Umpire Roberto Ortiz calls catchers interference in the course of the recreation between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 10, 2024. (Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos by way of Getty Images)
How unhealthy was the missed call? It left Tigers TV play-by-play man Jason Benetti almost speechless. “It is…yikes,” Benetti stated because the ABS system revealed that Ortiz missed a ball proper down the center of the plate.
“It is the rationale for the challenge system“Benetti continued.
It seems this is not Ortiz’s first rodeo with some relatively unhealthy missed calls. In September 2025, earlier than ABS was instituted by Commissioner Rob Manfred and his MLB entrance workplace, Ortiz labored a Brewers-Padres recreation through which the Umpire Auditor account on X estimated he missed a whopping 25 calls.
Watch the place these pitches ended up within the Okay-Zone squares:
It will get worse. In 2024, Ump Auditor reported that Ortiz missed 30 calls in a Pirates-Royals recreation and had a “correct call rate of only 82.5%.” While we’re at it, Ortiz labored a 2023 recreation the place he referred to as a pitch a strike when it was 5.27 inches off the plate, in line with Ump Auditor.
Running out unhealthy home-plate umpires may really find yourself being a sensible enterprise choice by Major League Baseball. “What actually surprised me is how popular this is with fans,” Manfred stated of ABS. “When the challenge happens, everyone’s kind of glued to the Jumbotron. It’s amazing. … It’s a form of fan engagement.”
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To date, the ABS stats are telling:
- Total Challenges: 1,928
- Overturn Rate: 53%
- Confirmed Calls: 898
- Batter Success Rate: 46%
- Pitcher/Catcher Success Rate: 60%
