NEW York Mets fans and coaches joined together to scold home plate umpire Emil Jimenez for his brutal strike calls in the team’s Monday loss to the San Diego Padres.
Jimenez frustrated the Mets to the point that the team’s manager Carlos Mendoza got ejected during the Padres’ 7-6 victory in San Diego.
New York Mets superstar right fielder Juan Soto argues with umpire Emil Jimenez after a strike-three call against the San Diego Padres on Monday night[/caption]
The drama began in the third inning when Soto was fuming after an at-bat that ended in a called strike three.
Jimenez’s strike two call was egregious as the pitch was well outside while the third strike clipped the outside edge of the zone.
Nonetheless, the four-time All-Star Soto expressed his frustration with the call, and Mendoza charged onto the field, where he’d be tossed from the game by Jimenez for arguing balls and strikes.
Soto’s anger appeared to leak over from his first at-bat when he fell into a 0-1 hole when a pitch that appeared several inches high was deemed a strike.
He’d strike out in that at-bat.
Soto appeared to nearly get thrown out of the game in the seventh inning after he struck out on a bad call on a third strike.
Several other strike calls in other at-bats for both teams were highly questionable as the Mets had their seven-game winning streak snapped Monday night.
Mets fans on social media weren’t afraid to share their grievances with Jimenez’s strike zone.
“Get this umpire out of the league @mlb,” one wrote.
“Congrats to home plate umpire Emil Jimenez on being the star of the game. Horrible strike zone both ways tonight,” another commented.
“Jimenez shouldn’t umpire another game,” a third added.
After the game, Mendoza was brutally honest about Jimenez behind the plate.
“He had a rough night, there’s no way to sugarcoat it there,” Mendoza said.
“Especially when you’re talking about a couple of at-bats there from Soto, some key at-bats.
“You’re taking about one of the best hitters in the game, you’re taking the bat away from him.”
Jimenez’s umpiring performance, or lack thereof, comes at a time when plenty of fans have called for the automated ball-strike system (ABS) to be implemented.
The process was used this past spring training and the 2025 All-Star Game earlier this month.
The feature, which allows each team to receive two strike zone challenges with the ability to retain them if successful, could be a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.
Jimenez tossed Mendoza after arguing Soto’s punchout during the third inning of the Padres’ victory[/caption]
