The five worst MLB umpires in the game today

2. Joe West

Argumentative. Short tempered. Looking to start conflict where none exists. Convinced the fans are there to see him in action. Thoroughly inept.

All of those phrases, and several that should not be used on a family friendly site, could be used to describe Joe West. He has his moments where he can be considered a loveable character on the diamond, as his interactions with various players can be amusing, but he is not there to entertain – he is there to call the game.

In that aspect, West comes up short. His strike zone is inconsistent at best, and there had even been allegations that he could be bribed to call pitches for favors off the diamond (West won that lawsuit). But just the fact that those statements seemed plausible indicates how erratic he can be as an umpire.

There are two things that can be said for Joe West – at least he is retiring at the end of the 2021 season, and at least he is not Angel Hernandez. Speaking of…

1. Angel Hernandez

You know you are terrible at your job when that is determined in the legal system. Such is the case with Angel Hernandez.

Hernandez had his discrimination suit against MLB thrown out due to his general ineptitude on the diamond. He had claimed that he was passed over as a crew chief and for postseason assignments based on his race and a feud with Joe Torre, when he was really passed over due to the fact that he is horrendous at his job.

There are far too many instances to recount all of them. He is horrendous in every aspect behind the plate. A prime example of his inability to call a game correctly came in Game Three of the 2018 ALDS, where four of his calls were challenged in the first four innings, with three being overturned. How he is still allowed on the diamond is a mystery to everyone involved.

Angel Hernandez is widely panned as the worst MLB umpire. Considering how utterly incompetent he is, one has to wonder if he is watching a completely different game than everyone else.