MLB Legend Darryl Strawberry Talks About His Faith and Salvation
Darryl Strawberry, a celebrated figure in Major League Baseball and the author of *Another Life*, recently sat down with Kayleigh McEnany to delve into his spiritual journey. Strawberry, reflecting on his past challenges including time behind bars and a heart attack, shared that his wife Tracy played a significant role in guiding him towards faith and discipleship. He underlined the belief that Christ has the power to transform any turmoil into a meaningful message for those in search of redemption.
Jen Pawol’s Historic Yet Controversial Tenure
Jen Pawol made headlines as the first female home plate umpire in Major League Baseball during the 2025 season, prompting discussions about whether her appointment was based on merit or merely a move towards inclusivity. Recently, these conversations have resurfaced as viral footage and statistics have indicated that her performance during the 2026 season was less than stellar.
To put it bluntly, she struggled.
Data from UmpScorecards, which assesses umpires by comparing their calls to MLB’s Statcast strike zone, shows that Pawol ranks an underwhelming 89th out of 91 qualified umpires in terms of overall accuracy in ball and strike calls.
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In these rankings, Pawol has an overall accuracy rate of 91.8% and a consistency rating of 93.1%, with an accuracy mark that is below expectations by -1.6%.
Her poor performance is further amplified by her involvement in several high-profile games that attracted scrutiny due to questionable strike zone rulings.
On June 16, during a matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins, she had a rocky start, reversing three ball calls in just the first inning.
(Heads up: there’s some colorful language ahead.)
Pawol’s inaugural strike call in her very first game was also quite poor. During a spring training match in 2026 between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians, a broadcaster remarked how a call got overturned by a pitch that was declared a ball while the at-bat was ongoing.
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The latest incident occurred on July 13 between the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, where Pawol missed a chance to let a Padres player attempt a called strike and, soon after, called a balk, leading to a frustrating point for the Padres.
In that game, her consistency was marked at 88%, while the average stands at 94%. Interestingly, it seemed that other umpires were protective of her during interactions with the coaches. Other referees often stepped in, perhaps giving the impression that managers were less inclined to engage with her. Is this a reflection of her being a woman? It’s hard to say, but the impression it leaves certainly raises eyebrows.
There’s still time for Pawol to improve. But from a standpoint of merit, it is evident that she has not yet demonstrated that she belongs in her current role. Notably, CB Buckner, the umpire with the lowest rating, has accepted a buyout and will retire by season’s end, a situation that doesn’t appear coincidental.
It’s hard to imagine that Pawol would receive the same level of scrutiny if her promotion hadn’t been such a public affair. With just two seasons under her belt, any misstep would cast a shadow over the league’s inclusivity narrative.
