Erich Baccus Is Basically Perfect Behind the Plate and Nobody's Even Close

The ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) leaderboard is officially live, and we've got ourselves a weekly tournament to track all summer long. One umpire is already lapping the field, and it's not even close.

Meet Erich Baccus, your current frontrunner and the guy who might actually be the GOAT of calling balls and strikes. This week he was so sharp behind the plate that he had zero challenges added to his game. Zero. When you're working 1,191 pitches and only one gets overturned, you're operating at 0.08% error rate. That's not human. That's Scottie Schefter level dominance.

The Guys Having a Rough Go

Not everyone is thriving out there. Andy Fletcher is in free fall. He's been challenged 25 times this season, and the plate hasn't looked right. Four out of his last five challenges weren't overturned, which tells you something's off with his eye. If I'm running an eyeglasses company, I'm calling this guy with a free vision check and specs for the rest of the year. There has to be some positive regression eventually, but 25 challenged pitches is a legit sample size now.

CB Bucknor dropped seven spots even without getting behind the plate this week. That's how far back he's fallen. Austin Jones somehow moved up a few notches despite missing six close calls just this past week alone. And Stu Scheurwater had an absolute meltdown, dropping 45 spots after eight missed calls. Nester Ceja wasn't much better, sliding 35 spots with seven misses.

The Long Summer Ahead

Here's the thing: there's no weekend cut in this ABS Invitational. No escape hatch. No mercy rule. These guys are grinding it out all summer, and the leaderboard will tell the story. We're early, sitting at about Thursday on the 12th tee if you're keeping score in golf major terms. Lot of knees still to bend.

Which umps will tighten up and find some clarity? Which ones will get the yips during the dog days? Can Bucknor and Fletcher climb back from these holes they've dug? That's what makes this fun. Strap in.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.