In the ongoing MLB season, Aaron Judge’s standout moment occurred when the New York Yankees’ star slugger experienced his first ejection in April following a passionate outburst triggered by a controversial call by a home plate umpire. Now as discussions about the use of Robo-Umps continue, Judge has finally broken his silence.
In an interview on the Casa De Klub Podcast, hosted by two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber and Arizona Wildcat player, Tyler Casagrande, Aaron Judge shared his nuanced perspective on umpires and officiating consistency.
Judge revealed the frustration that comes with not knowing how different umpires will call strikes. This variability poses challenges for both batters and pitchers who must constantly adapt to changing strike zones.
“Having to deal with the variable of a different umpire behind the plate every single day, you never know what that’s going to be. Are they going to call the low one today? Like, you have a four-game series.”
He continued to explain-
“The first guy could never call the low strike, and also, in the second or third game, all they call is a low strike. So it’s just that’s where it kind of messes with you.”
At the same time, he acknowledges that introducing automated umpires could eliminate the human element where catchers use pitch-framing techniques to influence umpire decisions—a tactical aspect of the game that would be lost. Despite advocating for uniformity, in officiating, Judge values the excitement and suspense brought about by human umpires.
Furthermore, Aaron Judge has suggested a system where umpires can review their calls between innings to self-correct and reduce missed calls. He maintains a respectful attitude towards umpires by recognizing the difficulties they face in managing strike zones for each player.
Judge also reflects on his career ejection, which occurred during a game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers on May 4, 2024, at Yankee Stadium.
Despite his usual approach of avoiding conflicts, Judge expressed his frustration with home plate umpire Ryan Blakney’s strike three call through muttered words and a glance- leading to his ejection from the game. This incident marked Judge as the first Yankees captain to be ejected since Don Mattingly in 1994.
Are Robo-Umps coming in 2025?
It seems unlikely that Robo-Umps will be widely used in MLB during the 2025 season. MLB has been experimenting with automated strike zones in the minor leagues for quite some time. This testing allows the league to understand the pros and cons of the technology with the resulting data.
The goal is to make the automated system as accurate as possible. Even if the technology proves to be precise, umpires would require training to adjust to a system where they are responsible for reviewing calls or making close decisions at critical moments.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has decided to hold off on implementing an automated Ball Strike (ABS) system in MLB until at least 2026, to allow time for refinement based on experiences in Triple-A.
If Major League Baseball is satisfied with the outcomes of their testing, they may consider introducing Robo Umps into the leagues after 2025. This could entail testing them in stadiums or specific games before implementing them league-wide.
The introduction of Robo Umps in MLB is a possibility in the future. It is likely to happen over a few years rather than as an abrupt change for the 2025 season.
