In the vast universe of baseball, where the grass is green, the bases are loaded, and the umpires wield their mighty strike zones, one name stands out like a sore thumb: Angel Hernandez. Yes, the same Angel who once mistook a baseball for a pineapple during a game. Buckle up, folks, because we’re diving into the hilariously chaotic world of Angel Hernandez’s missed calls behind the plate.
Picture this: Angel Hernandez crouched behind home plate, squinting at the batter like a confused owl. Astros vs Rangers. The battle of Texas. If you thought these two teams would be the main source of drama you would be mistaken. As Wyatt Langford steps to the plate, the first pitch to him sails away—outside the zone, by the way—but Angel calls it a strike. The second pitch? Even farther outside. Strike two! By the third pitch, the ball has traveled to the opposite batter’s box, and Angel, unfazed, yells, “Strike three!”.
Umpire Auditor, our friendly neighborhood umpire watchdog, had a field day with Angel. They measured his strikeout pitch to Langford—6.78 inches outside the zone! That’s like calling a hotdog a sandwich (It’s not). Turns out that Angel’s strike zone is more elusive than Bigfoot. But hey, at least he’s consistent—consistently baffling, that is. The record books now read: “Largest miss on a called strikeout in Umpire Auditor history: Angel Hernandez, 2024.” Bravo, Angel. Bravo.
In a game against the Yankees, Angel Hernandez decided to spice things up. Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis stepped off the rubber in his wind up and hoping nobody noticed, continued to throw his pitch. The batter, Gleyber Torres and everyone in the stadium noticed the miscue and waited for the expected balk call. But wait! Angel called it a strike, leaving Torres, the Yankees’ second baseman, utterly bewildered. Torres stared at the umpire, wondering if he’d accidentally wandered into an alternate dimension where the decades old rules of baseball didn’t apply.
In a game between the Marlins and the Yankees, Angel missed a whopping 15 calls behind the plate. The Yankees gained an extra 0.68 runs thanks to his artistic interpretation of the strike zone.
As the Rangers led the Astros 8-1, their announcers couldn’t contain themselves. Dave Raymond, the play-by-play guy, exclaimed, “You have got to be kidding me!” His partner, Dave Valle, chimed in with, “What in the world?!” They weren’t critiquing the awful jerseys MLB has decided to use this year; they were witnessing Angel’s masterpiece of absurdity. If baseball had a blooper reel, Angel Hernandez would be the star.
So there you have it, folks. Angel Hernandez, the clown of umpiring, continues to baffle players, fans, and even everyday TikTok users who roast Angel unmercifully on social media. As long as he’s behind the plate, expect the unexpected. And remember, when life throws you a curveball, just call it a strike and move on. After all, that’s what Angel would do.
