Los Angeles, California, USA; Home plate umpire Laz Diaz (63) during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Umpire Laz Diaz Made the Worst Strikeout Call on Record in Rays-Rangers Game

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 10:34 AM ET

Staring down the threat of a rain out in Tampa, veteran umpire Laz Diaz wasn't about to let Tuesday night's game drag on.

With one out in the top of the first, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jake Mangum had worked his way to a 1-2 count versus Texas Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle. He seemed to have successfully laid off ball two outside, but Diaz called a strike and sent a baffled Mangum back to the dugout.

According to Umpire Auditor, Mahle's pitch missed outside by 6.83 inches. That is good for the worst called strikeout since the watchdog account started tracking umpires' performances in 2014.

The previous record belonged to Angel Hernandez, who rung up Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford on a pitch that missed by 6.78 inches last April.

** NEW UMPIRE AUDITOR RECORD **

Yesterday, Umpire Laz Diaz rang up Jake Magnum on a pitch that missed outside by 6.83 inches.

With that call, Laz Diaz has taken the crown from Angel Hernandez for the worst called strikeout in Umpire Auditor history. https://t.co/2LvDoJaLio pic.twitter.com/dSTZ2r22pz
— Umpire Auditor (@UmpireAuditor) June 5, 2025

There was eventually a rain delay, but it only lasted 17 minutes. The Rays led 1-0 at the time of Mangum's inexplicable strikeout, then pulled ahead to win 5-1.

As for Diaz, the 62-year-old's performance wasn't exactly out of character. With Hernandez retiring a month after his record-breaking call, Diaz moved up the rankings of most widely-criticized umpires in baseball.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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