Umpire Brian Walsh under fire for overlooking clear strike in the Orioles-Blue Jays matchup
In the world of Major League Baseball (MLB), umpires have long been a subject of scrutiny, especially those behind the plate calling balls and strikes. Recently, home plate umpire Brian Walsh, identified as #120, has found himself under fire following a series of questionable calls.
On July 28, 2025, during a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros, Walsh made a call that would go down in history as one of the worst strike-zone decisions in MLB history. The game ended controversially with a questionable strike 3 call while the tying run was on first base, a decision that sparked outrage among fans and commentators and fueled calls for automated umpiring systems.
The incident occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Diamondbacks were down by one run to the Astros with two outs and a runner on first when All-Star Ketel Marte awaited a 3-2 pitch from Josh Hader. Hader's backdoor slider was outside the strike zone, but Walsh called it for strike three. Ketel Marte did not argue the call, but the Diamondbacks' broadcast team was not happy with the decision. Despite this, the D-Backs lost the game.
The controversy did not end there. In another game, this time between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, Walsh missed an obvious strike call. Zach Eflin, the Orioles starter, delivered a pitch that broke left to right and ended up right in the heart of the plate. Eflin and catcher Adley Rutschman both froze in disbelief that Walsh didn't call the pitch a strike.
These repeated poor calls and inconsistencies in calling balls and strikes have led to strong public backlash and scrutiny of Walsh's umpiring performance. Notably, in a game between the Diamondbacks and Astros, Walsh missed 9 calls, with 8 being incorrect strike calls. In another mention, Walsh missed 15 calls in one game, including an extreme miscall where the ball would have needed to be 9.5 inches further inside to be correct.
The controversy surrounding Walsh's umpiring is not unique. Umpires in MLB have been under scrutiny for years, with fans and commentators often questioning the accuracy and consistency of calls. Despite this, some players, such as Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton, are not in favor of the Automated Ball-Strike system becoming an MLB fixture.
The latest incident involving Walsh has once again brought the issue to the forefront. As the MLB season continues, it remains to be seen whether changes will be made to address the ongoing concerns about umpire accuracy and consistency.
The repeated questionable calls by Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire Brian Walsh, as seen in games like the Arizona Diamondbacks versus Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles versus Toronto Blue Jays, have reignited discussions about the need for automated umpiring systems in sports. For instance, during a game between the Diamondbacks and Astros, Walsh missed 9 calls, with 8 being incorrect strike calls, leading to public backlash and scrutiny. Similarly, technology could potentially alleviate instances like the one where Walsh missed an obvious strike call in a game between the Orioles and Blue Jays, where Zach Eflin's pitch broke left to right and landed right in the heart of the plate, yet was not called as a strike.
