Just when we thought that the ABS was too much and the pitchers and the catchers were not having it easy on the diamond, the umpires proved us wrong. We all thought that bad calls by umpire Adrian Johnson were just in MLB, but it looks like they have been dragged into the WBC, too.

Team Mexico fans are not happy with the officiating in the WBC game against Team USA after the Home Plate umpire, Adrian Johnson, is “allegedly” being biased towards Team USA.

One fan wrote, “Judge definitely went, but ok sure,” and in the same at-bat, Aaron Judge crushed a 2-run homer.

In the World Baseball Classic game between Team USA and Team Mexico, many 50‑50 calls went the way of the United States, especially in tight moments of the third inning when the score was still close.

Team Mexico fans pointed out that Aaron Judge appeared to have checked his swing and missed, but the home plate umpire called it a ball, leading to Judge’s 2‑run home run that ignited the 5‑3 win for Team USA. That Judge blast was a key turning point in the game and became a flashpoint for reaction from Mexico supporters.

Home plate umpire Adrian Johnson stood at the center of the discussion after the USA vs Mexico matchup, with fans arguing that calls went disproportionately in favor of Team USA. But this isn’t new.

In 2025, Johnson had an accuracy of around 93.41%, which ranked him in the bottom half of MLB umpires. That kind of accuracy means he gets roughly seven calls wrong out of every 100, and while not terrible, it does leave room for noticeable mistakes.

His past MLB games included a few that critics judged among the worst single-game performances in recent years, like an 83.1% correct call rate in a Twins-Giants matchup.

Because of Johnson’s mixed history with tough calls and ejections, many fans expected some controversy during a big game like this WBC clash.

In a 2025 game between the Giants and the Twins, he missed 22 of 130 pitches, drawing widespread criticism and even throwing out manager Rocco Baldelli, proving he can be at the center of heated moments. Those past instances may have made neutral fans brace themselves for tight calls in the USA vs Mexico game.

Due to the disputed call, the final score showed Team USA ultimately held off Team Mexico 5‑3, with Judge’s decision to swing and hit giving the Americans a lead they never fully lost.

Umpires under scrutiny again in the WBC

Baseball fans were ready for this, and Adrian Jhonson delivered. A fan bluntly summed up the frustration with “Fuck with this umpire. Mexico vs umpire + USA” after Team Mexico supporters criticized Adrian Johnson’s calls during their WBC loss to Team USA. Adrian Johnson’s name was already familiar to fans after he ejected Padres manager Mike Shildt and Fernando Tatis Jr. in May 2025, showing his history of tense moments with players and managers. These past ejections and controversial moments help explain why many felt the umpiring in the WBC brought back old frustrations with Johnson’s strike‑zone handling.

A fan exploded online with the blunt reaction “Umpire son of a bitch!” after some calls in the WBC game left Team Mexico supporters feeling frustrated with Adrian Johnson’s strike zone during the matchup against Team USA. Long before the WBC, broadcasters once blasted an umpire crew that included Johnson for a “terrible” and “unbelievably bad” call on a second base play during a San Francisco Giants game in 2024, with commentators saying “wake up” to the officiating.

A fan blasted “Umpire son of a bitch!” after some WBC calls seemed to help Team USA more than Mexico, especially when tight pitches to Mexican hitters looked called strikes unfairly. Adrian Johnson’s strike calls in the WBC show that baseball might need robots to oversee international games soon. Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony’s homers proved that humans struggle with consistency, making automated strike zones increasingly unavoidable for fairness.

A fan didn’t hold back and wrote “Of COURSE the US is getting those bullshit calls. It’s goin to be an uphill battle for Mexico” after what some saw as questionable strike calls in the WBC game between Team USA and Team Mexico. Some observers felt that tight pitches to Mexican hitters, which might have been called balls, seemed to benefit the US batters and helped momentum swing toward the Americans. A fellow supporter later admitted, “Sorry the umpire gave us 2 free home runs” in reference to how Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony‘s homers.

A frustrated fan wrote, “Why is an American calling balls and strikes for Team USA???? Get a Japanese umpire or Canadian umpire in there, bro?” after WBC viewers felt some close calls in the Team USA vs Mexico game seemed inconsistent and favored the Americans. That feeling reflects how some fans think officiating should be more neutral, similar to how FIFA uses officials from countries not involved in a match to avoid perceived bias.

Adrian Johnson’s strike calls in the WBC show that baseball might need robots overseeing international games soon.

Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony’s homers proved humans struggle with consistency, making automated strike zones increasingly unavoidable for fairness.