One Umpire Has Called 1,191 Pitches and Had Just One Overturned: Here's What That Tells You About MLB's ABS Problem

We're tracking MLB umpires like golfers in a major tournament right now, and the leaderboard is getting wild. With the ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) system available for evaluation, it's time to see which umps are actually good at their jobs and which ones are getting exposed by the data. We're only on the 12th tee here, so there's plenty of summer left for these rankings to shift. But some guys are already in trouble.

The GOAT Is Erich Baccus and It's Not Even Close

Look at the top of the leaderboard. Erich Baccus called another game this week and the numbers are ridiculous. Out of 1,191 pitches, only one was overturned. That's 0.08% of calls getting reversed. This guy might actually be the GOAT of umpiring. When you're that precise, players stop challenging you. In his last game, Baccus recorded zero challenges added. Zero. That's the kind of consistency that makes you wonder if we've found the modern-day standard setter for calling balls and strikes.

Andy Fletcher and CB Bucknor Are Sinking Fast

Then there's Andy Fletcher, sitting at number 85. Out of 25 times a player challenged his calls this week, none were overturned. Not one. That's the kind of stat that makes you think maybe he needs a vision check. There's been enough close pitches challenged that we've got a real sample size now, and it's not pretty. Fletcher needs positive regression or his leaderboard position is going to keep dropping.

CB Bucknor dropped seven spots even without getting behind the plate for a week. New umpires are showing they can actually spot pitches accurately, and Bucknor's falling in the standings as a result. The only way out of this hole is to get back out there and change the narrative. Stop hiding.

Some Wild Moves in the Middle

Austin Jones moved up a few spots despite missing six close calls just this past week. Maybe there's hope for a comeback story there. Meanwhile, Nester Ceja dropped 35 spots after a rough week with seven misses, and Stu Scheurwater fell 45 spots following eight missed calls. That's the kind of collapse that makes you wonder if we're watching a McIlroy situation unfold early in the tournament.

One note: D.J. Reyborn apparently umped 1,559 pitches starting this week. That's like five games worth of calls. Data might be screwy on the backend here, so we'll keep monitoring.

The leaderboard keeps moving. There's no cut in this tournament, no escape hatch. Every pitch matters, and the numbers don't lie.

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