Overview

• In the Orioles–Blue Jays game on July 29, home plate umpire Brian Walsh inexplicably ruled a 91 mph sinker to Ernie Clement as ball two despite landing in the heart of the zone, drawing stunned reactions from broadcasters and players.
• Later that night in San Diego, umpire Emil Jimenez called a pitch well above the strike zone as strike three on Juan Soto, prompting MLB Network commentators to label the decision indefensible.
• These back-to-back high-profile errors come on the heels of Walsh’s earlier miscalled backdoor slider in the Diamondbacks–Astros game on July 27, underscoring a pattern of human balls-and-strikes inconsistencies.
• Broadcasters across multiple outlets have used slow-motion replays and social media to amplify frustration over umpiring accuracy, with live commentary openly questioning the integrity of current strike-zone enforcement.
• Major League Baseball has not committed to formal adoption but previously trialed automated ball-strike systems in the minor leagues and now faces mounting pressure to extend such technology to the majors