Major League Baseball fans are always quick to point out when an umpire makes a controversial ball or strike call – especially when the call goes against their team.
But what if the ref goes the entire game without making a single wrong call?
That’s what home plate umpire Pat Hoberg did Houston Astros‘ win over Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series on Saturday. trans Judge Scorecardswho tracks the ball and the umpires’ strikes throughout every MLB game, Hoberg had his own version of a “perfect game.”
Launched the Umpire Scorecards program, which uses MLB’s own advanced pitch tracking data to evaluate the accuracy of every ball and strike call in a game to determine how those calls affect the outcome of the game. on Twitter in July 2020, just before the start of the pandemic-altered 2020 MLB season.
In the hundreds of games the platform has tracked since then, not one has been called perfectly — until Hoberg’s game in the Astros’ 5-2 Game 2 victory last night.
Database of judges actually dates back to the start of the 2015 season — and Hoberg’s Game 2 game still stands as the only perfect game he’s ever recorded.
However, as noted on Twitter, Hoberg was already quietly building a reputation for accuracy. Scores on the Umpire Scorecards website lists the judge in the 100th percentile for accuracy, 99th percentile for above-expected accuracy, and 94th percentile for consistency.
Hoberg was profiled as “MLB’s most accurate umpire” in a June 2022 USA Today article using Umpire Scorecards data. According to Umpire Scorecards owner Ethan Singer in the article, Hoberg already had a niche following for the accuracy reflected in his Umpire Scorecards reports.
By FOX Sports MLB Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman Hoberg shouted at them @CespedesBBQ Twitter account before the first pitch of Saturday’s Game 2 when it was announced that the umpire would be calling balls and strikes.
Hoberg’s fan base has only grown since Umpire Scorecards posted a perfect score for him on Sunday morning, quickly earning him praise from several corners of baseball Twitter.
Hoberg even earned recognition in MLB circles as San Francisco Giants the third baseman Evan Longoria shouted him out on Instagram, and FOX Sports broadcaster Jason Benetti shared a joke with New York Mets manager Buck Showalter earlier in the season.
As a broadcaster for FOX Sports Joe Davis As noted during the game, Hoberg’s friends and family were also in attendance to witness his historic night.
When the World Series moves to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, there will be more history with the Phillies and Astros leading 2-1.
Houston Astros Jeremy Peña’s exclusive interview after Game 2 of the World Series
Jeremy Peña talks to Ben Verlander in an exclusive interview after the Astros win Game 2 of the World Series.
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