Home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski surprised even himself on Tuesday afternoon.
During a spring training exhibition between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels at Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona, Muchlinski called a 2-2 changeup from Omar Cruz ball three, bringing the count full. San Diego catcher Brett Sullivan didn't agree and tapped his helmet to refute the call and utilize MLB's new ABS challenge system that is debuting in spring training.
After review, the replay clearly showed that Cruz's pitched missed the strike zone low and wide. Muchlinski nailed it.
"The call is surprisingly correct," Muchlinski said over the loudspeakers at the ballpark. The crowd—as well as the announcers on the Padres' home broadcast—erupted with laughter.
"The call is surprisingly correct." 🤣
— MLB (@MLB) February 25, 2025
(MLB x @TMobile) pic.twitter.com/jtDwTzchYQ
That is some good, clean family fun right there.
Angels designated hitter Carter Kieboom sure was pleased the call was confirmed, as he went on to single up the middle two pitches later. The Angels led San Diego 2–0 heading into the eighth inning.
The ABS challenge system allows pitchers, catchers and hitters on each team to challenge at least two ball/strike calls per game. If the challenge is proven correct and the call is reversed, the count is corrected and the team keeps its challenge. If the challenge fails—like the Padres' attempt to correct Muchlinski—the call stands and that team loses one of its challenges.
It has already produced several fun moments this spring, including Max Scherzer challenging a pitch way out of the strike zone and Martin Maldonado getting a call overturned by a matter of millimeters.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Umpire Drops Perfect Self-Deprecating Joke Over the Mic After Ball-Strike Challenge.
