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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 30: Umpire CB Bucknor #54 during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers vs Tampa Bay Rays at American Family Field on March 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
C.B. Bucknor has endured a brutal start to the 2026 MLB season.
The umpire was behind the plate on Saturday for a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox, and Bucknor had eight of his ball/strike calls challenged under MLB’s new ABS Challenge System.
Six of those calls were overturned, including this incredible sequence in the bottom of the sixth where he called a strike three that could have ended the inning, but after a challenge from Cincinnati’s Eugenio Suárez, the pitch was ruled a ball.
Then on the very next pitch, Bucknor called another third strike, only to have Suárez challenge that pitch as well. An exasperated Bucknor waited for the ruling, which again went against his initial call.
Two pitches, two calls overturned:
That is a tough scene, having 40,000 people revel in your mistakes like that.
According to Umpire Scorecards, Bucknor had a brutal day behind the plate:
Saturday even ended early for Boston manager Alex Cora, who was ejected after arguing this check-swing call from Bucknor, who relied on his own view of the plate and not the view from the first-base umpire:
“He has one job to do. It wasn’t his best day,” Cora said about Bucknor after the game.
All told, Cincinnati was successful on all five of their challenges Saturday, while Boston was successful on one of their three.
Then came Tuesday night, which saw Bucknor at first base for a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Brewers were leading 4-2 in the sixth inning when Jake Bauers laced a hard ground ball to the right side, beating it out for an infield single.
But Bucknor called Bauers out, alleging that he did not touch first base.
You will not need glasses to make the call yourself:
Replay overturned the call and Bauers went on to score on a double from Brandon Lockridge later in the inning. Following Milwaukee’s win, Bauers demurred when pressed on the initial call from Bucknor. “I don’t know what happened,” said Bauers. “I’m just thankful to get on base and thankful to come around and score.”
Brewers manager Pat Murphy followed his first baseman’s lead.
“I’m not going to criticize that,” said the Milwaukee manager.
When the ABS system was introduced, man fans thought it would improve accuracy from umpires such as Bucknor.
It might be a work in progress.
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