MLB Umpires Slammed by ‘Fed Up’ $65.5M Star in Brutal Call Out With ABS Warning

Umpires started calling both balls and strikes as early as 1864. And since then, baseball players have been disputing those calls continuously. Then in 2019, the debate about tradition vs. accuracy began with the Atlantic League seeing a full Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System, aka “robo umpires,” being used for the very first time in baseball. Four years later, MLB used it during Spring Training and All-Star Game. However, full-fledged use is yet to be seen. However, Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler doesn’t want to wait anymore.!

“ABS,” responded the 25-year-old when Alex Tantrum of MLB FITS asked him about that one thing that he would change in the game.

“I’m fed up with the umpires. I’ve had enough with the umpires. They miss too many calls both ways,” Butler, who played 27 games for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2023, added further.

“I want the challenge system. Three [challenges per game], just like they do in Triple-A. If you look at Triple-A, the umpires are a little bit more cautious about what pitches they call, because they know a pitcher or hitter might challenge it and it might embarrass them. So they might be a little bit more cautious to pull that trigger. I feel like up here, they don’t five a f––.”

Before June 25, 2024, the ABS system was used in Triple-A in a limited way: for three games per week, the challenge system was available, while the other three games featured full ABS with automatic balls and strikes on every pitch.

For context, Triple-A teams usually play six games each week. However, then it was made mandatory for all Triple-A games to use the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system for the rest of the season.

Naturally, the frustration of the player, who signed a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension with the Athletics in March this year, is understandable. And data backs it up!

The proof is in the numbers

Butler’s claim that “umpires missing too many calls” is not an exaggeration. MLB umpires made an alarming 27,336 incorrect ball-strike calls in a single season of 2024, when there was already a two-times challenge system available. And the outcome? 1637 of those missed calls directly resulted in a strikeout, changing the at-bats and, obviously, the game. It’s not just the only impact.

As per umpirescorecards.com, the Minnesota Twins were the most affected team in all of MLB by umpire calls. The team was at an estimated -12.75 runs as a result of missed calls from umpires. The Rockies are the next closest team with a score of -8.08, and only three other teams have scores of -6 or lower.

Probably that’s why we see managers like the Yankees’ Aaron Boone and the Rays’ Kevin Cash often getting ejected for opposing the umpire calls.

Butler’s point about accountability in Triple-A is also spot-on. The challenge system definitely works. Proof? We saw it during the 2025 Spring Training trial, where 52.2% of all challenges resulted in the original umpire’s calls were overturned.