Ump show: Juan Soto's joke of a strikeout should speed up MLB's challenge system

The overall quality of umpires in MLB is well below what any professional league should be comfortable with. Not a day goes by without an embarrassing lowlight from one ump or another.

But the crews in charge of the Yankees-Athletics series this week have tried to set a new bar.

On Monday, Hunter Wendelstedt made headlines when he ejected Aaron Boone for something a fan said and then refused to take responsibility for his mishap.

On Tuesday, home plate umpire John Tumpane had his turn, striking out Juan Soto on six balls among other missed calls.

As Talkin' Yanks pointed out, Soto didn't see a single strike in an at-bat that saw him struck out looking.

Umpires are making the Yankees-Athletics series about them

But if you thought about arguing balls and strikes, just know that Tumpane has no time for that. He chastised the A's dugout after calling a ridiculous strike during an Esteury Ruiz at-bat.

The best thing to say about Tumpane on Tuesday night is he was an equal-opportunity offender. Oakland actually got the bulk of his terrible calls.

That's the thing about umps at this point. It's tough to accuse them of bias when they seem to be awful no matter who is at the plate.

Even so, the challenge system that is being tested in the minors right now can't come to the majors soon enough. Accepting some human error is one thing but seeing guys punched out on pitches inches off the plate should never be acceptable. We all just want to see them get those calls right.

In the end, the Yankees came away with the win despite the hubbub around the umpire. The A's took an early lead but that was erased in the bottom of the first thanks to home runs from Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Oakland cut into New York's 4-1 lead with solo homers in the second and fourth but neither team made it home in the final five innings and it ended 4-3.

The Yankees and A's will play two more times this week. We'll see what kind of umpire shenanigans await us on Wednesday and Thursday.