NEW YORK — This year, a fresh batch of six umpires is set to make their inaugural appearances in the League Championship Series, while Dan Iassogna and Bill Miller take on the roles of crew chiefs.
Major League Baseball announced this development on Saturday, revealing the names of the umpires who will be officiating on the field for the first time in the LCS.
With Iassogna returning as an LCS crew chief for a consecutive year, he will oversee the American League showdown between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians.
Meanwhile, Miller will act as the crew chief for the National League series featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers against the New York Mets.
Each series will have a seven-man umpiring crew, which will mean that one umpire will rotate out for each game.
The American League series is set to kick off on Monday, with Estabrook behind home plate, while Iassogna will cover first base, Segal at second, Alan Porter at third base, Viconti in left field, Vic Carapazza in right field, and Morales serving as the reserve umpire.
In the second game, Morales will take over as home plate umpire, while Iassogna, Segal, Porter, Visconti, and Carapazza will fill the respective positions in Game 7.
On the other hand, the National League series starts on Sunday, where Rehak will serve as the home plate umpire, followed by Marvin Hudson at first, Lentz at second, Miller at third, David Rackley in left, Jordan Baker in right, and Mike Muchlinski as the reserve umpire.
Similar adjustments will see Muchlinski handling home plate in Game 2, followed by Hudson, Lentz, Miller, Rackley, and Baker in subsequent games.
In Game 2 of the AL series, Alan Porter will lead as crew chief while Iassogna takes a reserve role, and Hudson will step up as the NL chief in Game 4, with Miller as the reserve.
The experience levels among the umpires vary, with Miller marking his ninth LCS and Iassogna his eighth.
Hudson, Muchlinski, and Porter are all set to officiate their fourth LCS, while Baker and Carapazza are on their third, and Rackley makes his second appearance.
In the background, Scott Barry, Alfonso Márquez, and Ben May will be stationed as replay umpires at Major League Baseball’s headquarters in New York.