Bryce Harper, the Philadelphia Phillies' star, proposed increasing pay for top-performing MLB umpires as a solution to enhance officiating quality. He suggested that the best umpires should officiate more games behind the plate, potentially improving baseball. This idea comes amidst ongoing concerns about umpiring standards in MLB, with Harper advocating for financial incentives tied to performance as a means to motivate umpires to excel. The proposal aims to elevate the importance of accuracy in balls and strikes calls and could lead to a reshuffling of umpire assignments based on performance evaluations.