Welcome to MLB: Padres rookie strikes out on pitch to helmet, which ump got wrong
San Diego Padres rookie Graham Pauley has made only 13 plate appearances in his young MLB career, but we can definitely identify the worst one.
Facing San Francisco Giants reliever Tyler Rogers on Friday, Pauley somehow managed to take a baseball to the helmet and strike out on an objective mistake by home plate umpire Sean Barber.
With the count 0-2, Rogers missed big on a pitch up and in, but Pauley swung. The ball ended up hitting him in the shoulder, then the helmet, with some possible contact with his face. Swinging on a ball that hits you is still counted as a swinging strike, but the instant replay clearly showed that Pauley's bat had tipped the ball.
Unfortunately for Pauley, foul tips are not reviewable under MLB rules, so he took the hard-luck strikeout.
Swings at strike 3. The ball then hits him in the chest, then face.
Replays later show that it was a foul tip -- which is not reviewable. So, the strikeout stood.
Rough at-bat for San Diego's Graham Pauley. pic.twitter.com/waWyrlzdDb— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 5, 2024
Obviously, Pauley would not have struck out had he not taken an absolutely ghastly swing, but it's not unreasonable to expect umpires to make the right call.
The Padres went on to lose 3-2 to the Giants on a walk-off double from Thairo Estrada.
Pauley, a utilityman ranked by MLB Pipeline as San Diego's No. 8 prospect, made the Padres' Opening Day roster and has played in five of their first 10 games. So far, he is 2-for-13 with a home run and six strikeouts.