Jen Pawol, Major League Baseball's first female home plate umpire who debuted in the 2025 season, has come under renewed criticism for her on-field performance during the 2026 season. According to season-long data from UmpScorecards, which evaluates every called ball and strike against MLB's Statcast strike zone and grades umpires on accuracy and consistency, Pawol ranks 89th out of 91 qualified MLB umpires in overall ball-and-strike accuracy.

Her performance has sparked debate about whether she earned her position on merit or was appointed as a political statement for inclusion and diversity. Viral videos have highlighted several controversial calls, including a 2026 spring training game between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians where a broadcaster noted, "The call is overturned on a pitch that was right down the middle of the plate that was called a ball."

More recently, during a July 13 game between the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, Pawol did not allow Padres’ Sung-Mun Song to challenge a called strike and subsequently called a balk that forced in a run for the Padres.

Photographs from games in 2026 show Pawol officiating at key moments, such as calling out Jarren Duran on strikes to end a game at Fenway Park on May 23, and overseeing a game between the Padres and Blue Jays at Petco Park on July 12.

These incidents have reignited discussions about her role and performance in Major League Baseball.

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