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Earlier this year, the best thing that could have ever happened to baseball took place.

No, it wasn’t the Red Sox winning another World Series (they were too bad to even make the playoffs, RIP). And it wasn’t Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 season either, although that was pretty freaking epic.

On May 27th, Angel Hernandez announced that after 33 years of terrorizing MLB hitters with horrendous strike calls and an insane ego, he was finally retiring (his final game was May 9th). I think every honest person associated with baseball was thrilled beyond belief that this not-so angelic umpire was calling it quits.

Man, this guy was awful. But just how awful would you say he was at his job? Allow me to provide you with a little perspective.

The “Umpire Auditor” account compiled a list of all the missed calls behind the plate during the 2024 regular season, and the total came to an astounding 27,336. If you split that evenly among all 30 MLB teams, that means that each franchise was the victim of 911 bad calls throughout the season, or a little over 5.5 per game.

Yikes, that’s pathetic.

What do you think the MLB should do to lower the amount of missed calls? Are robo umps necessary? Let me know: john.simmons@outkick.com.

Some were obviously worse than others, and “Umpire Auditor” listed the top ten. Guess who had the worst one of the 2024 season?

Yup, our ol’ pal Angel. He called a ball that was almost 7 inches off the plate a strike.

So, just how bad is Hernandez, you may ask? Apparently, he was so bad that he only called balls and strikes until early May, and no one managed to make a worse call than him behind the plate.

What an absolute legend – for all the wrong reasons.

This Photo Perfectly Captures The Heartbreak Of The Brewers’ Collapse

The Milwaukee Brewers could literally smell victory. In a winner-take-all Wild Card game against the New York Mets, Milwaukee led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. By getting just three more outs, they’d be on their way to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.

Surely, Milwaukee could rely on closer Devin Williams, a guy who had 14 saves, a 1-0 record, and a 1.25 ERA to get those three outs, and then be off to celebrate with champagne, right?

Not so fast.

After Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo reached, Pete Alonso told a Williams airbender to get lost – specifically in the right field bleachers.

Evidently, one Mets fan has video proof of him calling it seconds before Alonso swung.

I mean come on, does it get any more eclectic than saving your team’s season in an elimination game with a three-run jack?

After the Mets tacked on one more run in the frame, they closed the deal in the ninth to win 4-2 and head to play the Phillies.

Pure joy for New York. Heartbreak for Milwaukee. A fitting ending to a surprisingly electric Wild Card round.

(Also, did the Mets just guarantee that they’ll go to the World Series? History would suggest so).

In these types of moments, photographers look to find some scene during the evening to capture just how emotionally crushing this moment was for anyone who played for or supported the Brewers. While the countless dejected faces of the fans might have done the trick, one photographer by the clubhouse did the best job.

Since this was a potential series-clinching game for Milwaukee, they had champagne and beer coolers on hand. But since Williams crapped the bed and Alonso channeled his inner clutch gene (which many people doubted that he had), they wouldn’t be needing the bubbly anymore.

So a few faithful stadium workers solemnly wheeled out the beer carts, themselves sad that the bottles would need to be used for something other than winning a playoff series.

Gosh, that one cuts to the heart. Maybe next year, Milwaukee.

My (Late) Playoff Predicitions

Okay, now that the Wild Card round is over, it’s time to make my World Series pick. I know, I know, it’s cheating a little bit since I didn’t have to predict an entire round. But cut me some slack, the last time I wrote one of these columns, we were still trying to figure out who the NL Wild Cards would be.

After seeing the four divisional round matchups, here’s how I think the rest of the postseason will shake out:

DIVISIONAL ROUNDS

  • Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers – Guardians in 4
  • Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees – Yankees in 5
  • San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – Padres in 5
  • Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets – Mets in 4

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS

  • Guardians vs. Yankees – Yankees in 6
  • Padres vs. Mets – Padres in 7

WORLD SERIES

Padres vs. Yankees – Padres in 7

Now, would I put any money on this bracket unfolding exactly like this? Definitely not. But I do believe the Padres will win their first title thanks to a lethal lineup, a stingy bullpen, and a solid starting rotation. 

We’ll find out soon enough if I’m right! All divisional series action starts tomorrow.

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What does your playoff bracket look like? Do you think mine is as atrocious as an Angel Hernandez strike call, or a home run? Let me know your thoughts, and keep enjoying his October baseball!: john.simmons@outkick.com.