POV: World Series Umpires Did Not Have World-Class Performances This Year
POV: World Series Umpires Did Not Have World-Class Performances This Year
Players and fans deserve better behind home plate
The results are in. Less than a month after the Washington Nationals won the 2019 World Series, new data reveal that the Major League Baseball umpires collectively missed almost 9 percent of ball-strike calls in the tense seven-game series. In crucial count situations, such as three balls and two strikes, accuracy rates were even lower. Umpire team biases were also evident, as well as a flawed assignment system that placed seniority over merit.