The MLB season is less than two weeks old and Angel Hernandez is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Hernandez’s performance as the home plate umpire in Sunday’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees was once again the subject of ridicule. Hernandez’s issues started in the first inning, when Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis seemingly stepped off as he was going into his delivery of a 3-2 pitch.
Hernandez not only let the pitch count, but punched out Gleyber Torres on what appeared to be a clear ball.
You can usually set your watch to Ángel Hernández getting a call wrong. This is how it looked like YES Network: pic.twitter.com/NFSmYWGVPH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 7, 2024
The call left the Yankees baffled and also prompted some noisy anti-Hernandez chanting among the Yankee Stadium crowd.
Things did not get better for Hernandez, as he called a pitch straight down the middle a ball later in the game.
Angel Hernandez just called this a ball @StoolBaseball pic.twitter.com/SHtioppTwq
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 7, 2024
This one is slightly more excusable since the catcher immediately moved his glove to fake a throw, but at the same time, that is an easy strike call that should not fool a major league umpire.
Hernandez started the season by screwing up a pretty obvious call last week, and he was even making headlines in spring training. He does not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon, unfortunately, so there is every reason to believe the baffling calls will continue.
