In the first week of the MLB season, two nearly identical plays involving hit-by-pitches led to completely different outcomes due to umpire judgment and MLB’s replay rules. In one game, a pitch hit the batter Tolson in the hand. Umpire Angel Hernandez ruled it a foul tip, saying the batter swung and it struck his hand, which by rule makes it a strike. But replays showed there wasn’t a swing at all—just a reflex flinch. Because swing determinations aren’t reviewable, the call stood. Hernandez argued that the batter swung, despite the video and his own closed eyes at the moment of contact suggesting otherwise. If Hernandez had claimed it hit the knob of the bat and called it a foul ball, the situation would’ve been frustrating but defensible. Instead, he insisted on a swing that clearly didn’t happen.
In another game, an almost identical hit-by-pitch on Ramón Laureano was handled differently. The umpire confirmed with the crew that no swing was called, which allowed for a review. The call was reversed to a hit-by-pitch, and Laureano took first base. Seattle disagreed, arguing that Laureano had swung, but since the recorded call was no swing, the review was allowed. This inconsistency highlights a problem with the league’s replay rules. Hit-by-pitches involving swings can’t be reviewed if the ump thinks a swing happened, even when video clearly says otherwise. The conclusion? MLB needs to fix what can and can’t be challenged, and umpires like Hernandez should stop calling check swings from behind the plate.