Yes, yes! We know! Another day, another bad call! Right now, it seems like a never-ending loop. And the roar is louder than the crack of the bat or a diving catch. Sometimes, it can even force you to scream in disbelief, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” Buckle up! This time, veteran ump Laz Diaz has added another legendary blunder to his highlight reel – a call so ridiculous it might just be the final straw that forces Major League Baseball to finally, finally, bring in the robots.

It all went down Tuesday night. Rays vs. Rangers. Tampa Bay’s Tyler Mahle was on the mound, facing Jake Mangum with a 1-2 count. Mahle uncorks one that misses outside. And by outside, we mean it was practically in the other batter’s box, maybe even hailing a cab on the street. But Laz Diaz, behind the dish? He apparently saw something no one else did.

He punches out Mangum. Strike three. Everyone – players, announcers, fans – was just stunned. You can see the replay. It’s not even close. But it’s a work of art in bad calls.

Now, if this were just a one-off, maybe you would laugh it off. But this is Laz Diaz… And we all know he has a history of making bad calls. In fact, just a few weeks ago, he literally admitted he blew a call in a Red Sox-Mets game, telling batter Kristian Campbell, “That’s on me,” after a bad strike call.

To be fair, there was some context to the Rays-Rangers call. Rain was looming, and the game wasn’t official yet. Some argue Diaz, with the Rays up 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth, might have been trying to “speed things along” to get the game in the books. An objectively terrible call, sure, but maybe for the “greater good” of avoiding a rainout?

The problem is, the rain held off, they played all nine, and the Rays won 5-1 anyway. So, all that “greater good” did was screw over Jake Mangum’s batting average and gift Tyler Mahle a bogus K.

And that’s where Major League Baseball might finally be saying, “Enough is enough.” Calls like this latest Laz Diaz special are exactly why the league is seriously looking to intervene with technology. According to a tweet from The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, Commissioner Rob Manfred is set to propose an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system for the 2026 season at the major league level.

Manfred himself confirmed he intends to submit the proposal to the league’s competition committee (which includes owners, players, and an umpire) this offseason. He knows getting player buy-in is key, saying, “My single biggest concern is working through the process and deploying it in a way that’s acceptable to the players.” He wants a “full airing of concerns” before they go forward.

The system, which has been tested in the minors and spring training, would reportedly allow teams a couple of challenges per game on ball-strike calls, with batters just tapping their helmets to initiate it. It’s based on individualized player heights, not just some generic TV box.

So, maybe Laz Diaz’s latest masterpiece will be the call that officially ushers in the robo-ump era. And you better believe the fans had a LOT to say about this latest Diaz special.

“Disgrace to umpiring”: Baseball fans unleash on Laz Diaz (again)

One fan pointed out that Diaz seems to be in a constant competition with himself to make increasingly worse calls. “About a month and a half ago I called Laz Diaz a disgrace to umpiring for an absolutely horrendous no check swing call. Somehow he finds ways to outdo himself. I think we can say he’s pretty close to, if not the worst umpire in MLB right now.” This isn’t just hyperbole. It feels like a genuine sentiment echoed by many. When you’ve got a reputation like Diaz’s – remember him popping a balloon mid-game and still missing a call, or giving Joe Girardi that infamous Dikembe Mutombo finger wag? And then you add a call this bad! No wonder fans feel like he’s actively trying to one-up his own blunders.

The frustration often boils down to a simple, exasperated plea that many fans share, sometimes filling in their own colorful adjectives. “Laz Diaz is a top ___ worst MLB umpire.” And the natural follow-up from a fed-up fanbase? “FIRE LAZ DIAZ #firelazdiaz.” You see these kinds of comments pop up almost every time Diaz is behind the plate for a big game. It’s that feeling of inevitability, like you’re just waiting for “the Laz Diaz moment” to happen.

It’s not just about vibes either, some are even keeping score on Diaz’s historically bad calls. The Umpire Auditor X account, known for its data-driven analysis of umpiring, didn’t miss this on. “** NEW UMPIRE AUDITOR RECORD ** Yesterday, Umpire Laz Diaz rang up Jake Magnum on a pitch that missed outside by 6.83 inches. With that call, Laz Diaz has taken the crown from Angel Hernandez for the worst called strikeout in Umpire Auditor history.”

Let that sink in. 6.83 inches outside. That’s not just a little off. And to “take the crown” from Angel Hernandez for the worst called strikeout? That’s like winning the award for “Most Likely to Make Fans Throw Their Remotes at the TV.” It just quantifies what everyone watching already knew: The call was an absolute howler.

At the end, it all circles back to a simple, widely held belief, as another fan put it, “Yeah, Laz Diaz is not a good umpire.” Sometimes, it’s just that straightforward. And when calls are this consistently off, this mind-bogglingly bad, no wonder fans are in favor of MLB’s proposed automated ball-strike challenge system. They’re just tired of the human error being this egregiously human.