Mitch Trzeciak is having a rough start to spring training behind the plate.
A Triple A umpire in 2025, Trzeciak got a shot at being the home plate umpire for the Grapefruit League game between the Pirates and Red Sox on Tuesday. His audition did not go well.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Pittsburgh righty Carmen Mlodzinski delivered what looked like a first-pitch strike to Boston’s Trevor Story. Trzeciak called it a ball, and catcher Endy Rodriguez immediately challenged. The ABS review showed that the pitch was right down the middle, so Trzeciak’s call was overturned.
Enjoy the video:
This is why ABS was invented. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/RyHmz7BFOM
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 24, 2026
That’s as bad as it gets.
Things immediately got worse for Trzeciak, as his calls were reviewed three times in the first two innings, with all three challenges winding up successful. Video of all three is below.
Umpire in Pirates vs. Red Sox had three calls overturned by ABS in just over an inning pic.twitter.com/0MgUPJadTc
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) February 24, 2026
Overall, he had five consecutive calls overturned.
You think YOU’VE had a bad day??
Here’s 5 Consecutive Calls overturned by ABS challenges.
The cheer at the end. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5EG0WLgm21
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 24, 2026
There’s no doubt that calling balls and strikes is hard, which is exactly why the new ABS challenge system is so vital. The hope is that umpires will learn the strike zone by being corrected often enough that they’ll have to work on their zones. If they don’t, they’ll keep getting embarrassed on television.
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