We’re so used to calling out umpires for missed calls because, well, it happens far too often. After all, the job of accurately calling balls and strikes for today’s big-league pitching is no small task. It’s precisely why MLB should consider instituting an automated strike zone.
But on Wednesday, something astonishing happened. MLB umpire Fieldin Culbreth (yes, that’s a real name) channeled the energy of a robot umpire and essentially called a perfect game behind the plate for the crucial Phillies-Braves matchup in Atlanta.
According to Umpire Scorecards, Culbreth saw 122 taken pitches during Wednesday’s game and called 121 of those pitches correctly. On top of that, none of his ball calls were inside his established strike zone — he was 100 percent consistent. His one missed call was borderline too.
Umpire: Fieldin Culbreth
Final: Braves 7, Phillies 2#ForTheA // #RingTheBell#ATLvsPHI // #PHIvsATL pic.twitter.com/ODhftWaeAQ— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) September 30, 2021
If every umpire could do that on a daily basis, we wouldn’t be calling for robot umps. It wasn’t even a performance that Culbreth has shown the ability to consistently pull off. He ranks 72nd out of 99 umpires in terms of accuracy, according to Ump Analysis.
Per @UmpScorecards, updated rankings based on season-to-date Overall Accuracy show John Libka overtaking Alex Tosi for #1. Dan Iassogna (#61, +8) had the biggest rise since last update thru 9/20. Manny Gonzalez (#25, -7) and Angel Hernandez (#84, -7) had the biggest drop. pic.twitter.com/jf0l4lvnAo
— Umpire Scorecards Analysis (@UmpAnalysis) September 28, 2021
But Culbreth deserves credit — he had a phenomenal game behind the plate. Possibly the best ever. MLB fans agreed.