Analyzing the Umpires: NLCS Edition

October 11, 2013

With all the Division Series now over, it now time to give a quick look at the League Championship Series umpires. I will look at the NLCS umpires today and the ALCS umpires tomorrow.

For each umpire, I have include their 3-year average K%, BB% and Zone% for both left-handed and right-handed hitters. I have created a 100 scale which shows how much more or less an umpire is than the league average. A value over 100 is always pitcher friendly (a lower BB% means a higher 100 value).

Additionally, I have included a heat map of the umpire’s called strike zone compared to the league average zone. It subtracts the percentage of called strikes divided by the total of the called balls and strikes of the umpire from the league average. For example, if the umpire called a pitch in the zone a strike 40% of the time and if the league average is 50%, the output would be -10% (40%-50%) or 0.10.

Gerry Davis – A fairly average umpire with a strike zone squeezed on the edges and extended at the top and bottom.

LHH: 3-year
K%: 25.1 (103)
BB%: 10.5 (110)
Zone%: 49.5% (98)

RHH: 3-year
K%: 24.3% (99)
BB%: 10.5 (99)
Zone%: 78.8% (98)

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LHH

RHH

Mark Carlson – He is a little bit pitcher friendly. The one part of the zone he calls differently is the low outside strike to LHH.

LHH: 3-year
K%: 25.4 (104)
BB%: 11.2% (105)
Zone%: 51.1% (101)

RHH: 3-year
K%: 24.2%(99)
BB%: 10.2% (102)
Zone%: 78.5% (98)

LHH

RHH

Mike Everitt – He is kind of all over the place. He is really pitcher friendly with RHH getting a squeezed extended zone. With LHH, he league average, but likes to call the inside strike.

LHH: 3-year
K%: 23.3% (96)
BB%: 12.1% (97)
Zone%: 51.4% (102)

RHH: 3-year
K%: 26.2%(107)
BB%: 9.8%(107)
Zone%: 82.3% (102)

LHH

RHH

Ted Barrett – He calls a large zone and it can be seen the results. Hitters better come swinging if he is calling the game.

LHH: 3-year
K%: 25.1%(103)
BB%: 11.0% (106)
Zone%: 51.9% (103)

RHH: 3-year
K%: 24.1%(98)
BB%: 9.3%(112)
Zone%: 81.5% (101)

LHH

RHH

Bruce Dreckman – He is an league average umpire. He does like to call the inside strike for both LHH and RHH.
LHH: 3-year
K%: 24.7% (101)
BB%: 10.5 (111)
Zone%: 50.9% (101)

RHH: 3-year
K%: 24.1% (98)
BB%: 10.5% (99)
Zone%: 82.0% (102)

LHH