When Baltimore–Toronto game took place on July 28, umpire Brian Walsh committed one of the most egregious strike zone errors in memory: a 90 mph sinker right down the heart of the plate was inexplicably ruled a ball. The Orioles broadcasters were stunned, with Kevin Brown quipping, “You couldn’t set it on a tee in the heart of the plate any better…How do you miss that?”
That kind of high‑profile miscue inevitably invites comparisons to baseball’s most infamous officiating disasters. Let’s look back at the Top Five Worst Umpire Calls in MLB History, starting with Walsh’s latest fiasco.
1. Brian Walsh – Orioles vs. Blue Jays, July 2025
This recent call may not have changed the final result, Baltimore rolled Toronto 11–4, but it was pure baseball cringe. A sinker squarely over the plate, frozen by the batter and catcher alike, yet Walsh tossed it as a ball. The broadcast booth was mortified; fans erupted. That one pitch has already become meme‑fodder and a rallying cry for ABS (Automated Ball‑Strike) implementation.
2. Don Denkinger – 1985 World Series, Game 6
No list of dreadful umpire calls is complete without Denkinger’s safe ruling in the bottom of the ninth during Game 6. Jorge Orta appeared clearly out at first base, but Denkinger called him safe. The blown call swung momentum to the Royals, who forced and ultimately won the series. Even Commissioner Peter Ueberroth later told Denkinger he was wrong.
3. Jim Joyce – Galarraga’s “Imperfect Game,” June 2010
Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga retired 26 and faced the 27th batter for a perfect game–until Jim Joyce missed an obvious out call at first base. Instead of perfection, it became a one-hit shutout with an error marked against the umpire. Joyce tearfully admitted his mistake; Galarraga handled it with grace—but the moment lives in infamy.
4. Angel Hernandez – Legacy of Controversy
Hernandez, arguably the most controversial umpire of the past three decades, compiled a staggering résumé of botched calls. In 2022, he rung up Kyle Schwarber on a pitch well off the plate, prompting the Phillies slugger to explode at home plate. In 1998, Hernandez infamously ruled Bernard Gilkey safe at home despite Mike Piazza catching the ball well ahead of the runner.
He also sparked outrage in 2013 after overturning a home run for the Oakland A’s that had clearly cleared the fence. And in a game in April 2024, he struck out a Rangers batter after a sequence of seven balls–none of which came close to the strike zone. He retired in May 2024 to a chorus of relieved fans, but his legacy remains one of persistent inaccuracy and league-wide frustration.
5. Jerry Meals – Game-Changing Errors in Key Moments
Meals may not have had the notoriety of Hernandez, but his resume includes some of the most game-altering errors of the 2010s. In a 2011 extra-inning thriller between Atlanta and Pittsburgh, Meals called Julio Lugo safe at home even though replays showed the tag was clearly applied. The Braves won, and Meals became the subject of national scrutiny.
Two years later, in 2013, he made another high-profile mistake by calling Daniel Nava out at the plate in a tie game–even though the catcher never got the tag down. Meals later admitted the error, but by then the damage was done. While not as frequent a lightning rod as others on this list, the impact of his mistakes places him firmly in the top five.
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