The MLB playoffs feature the biggest stars in the game performing on the grandest stage. While players will sometimes not perform their best for one reason or another, there are many variables that factor into their performance.
As the best teams fight for a championship, MLB umpires are under a microscope, showing their abilities in front of a global audience. For the most part, they acquit themselves fairly well.
Then there’s Dan Iassogna, who worked home plate and acted as crew chief for last night’s NLCS Game 3 between the Phillies and Diamondbacks.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Most umpires work in anonymity, but Iassogna’s work took center stage last night. He missed 14 ball/strike calls in the game according to Umpire Auditor on X, good(?) for an accuracy rate of 89.4%.
It’s important to understand that the CGI strike box projected on-screen by the game broadcasters isn’t completely accurate from a height standpoint. Each player’s height and stance affects the size of his strike zone.
But 14 missed calls? While MLB doesn’t share the method by which they staff postseason games, one would think the best officials in the game are hand-picked to get these contests.
Philadelphia Phillies
Is this really what the league is sending as its best and brightest? Umpire Auditor, which charts every game, ranks Iassogna 79th of 92 umpires for the 2023 regular season. There are two League Championship Series, each staffed by six umpires. It’s very hard to believe that, by any metric, Iassogna is among the top 12 umpires in the game.
My opinion on umpires is that as long as you’re consistent, the game is fairly called. If you’re tight, be tight for both teams. If you have a loose zone, keep it loose in the first inning all the way through to the final pitch. But Iassogna was egregiously bad, and social media noticed.