URGENT UPDATE: Major League Baseball has just announced the umpire crew assignments for the 2023 League Championship Series, set to kick off this Sunday. Notably, Alfonso Márquez will serve as crew chief for his seventh LCS, leading the officiating for the highly anticipated matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.
The LCS begins on October 15, 2023, with Márquez taking the field alongside James Hoye, who will oversee his fifth LCS during the series between the Milwaukee Brewers and defending champions Los Angeles Dodgers, starting on October 16. This year’s postseason features a total of seven-man umpire crews for each series, with one umpire resting during each game.
Each crew is strategically assigned to ensure a fair and efficient game experience. In the American League opener, Ryan Additon will be behind home plate, while Ben May will serve at first base. Márquez will be stationed at second, with Marvin Hudson at third, D.J. Reyburn in left field, Quinn Wolcott in right, and Doug Eddings as the reserve umpire. Eddings will take over as the home plate umpire in Game 2, followed by a rotation of May, Márquez, Hudson, Reyburn, and Wolcott.
The National League series will commence on Monday, with John Libka officiating behind the plate. Hoye will handle first base, while Adam Beck takes second, Vic Carapazza at third, Chad Fairchild in left, Mark Ripperger in right, and Gabe Morales as the reserve umpire. Morales will step in as the home plate umpire in Game 2, followed by Hoye, Beck, Carapazza, Fairchild, and Ripperger.
This year’s crew includes several seasoned umpires, with Hudson and Carapazza each officiating their fifth LCS, while Eddings, Fairchild, and Morales are each in their fourth postseason series. The replay umpires for this year’s LCS are Alex MacKay, Bill Miller, and David Rackley, stationed at MLB’s New York office.
As the excitement builds for the League Championship Series, fans are eager to see how these officiating assignments will play out. The stakes are high, and every call could be pivotal in determining which teams advance to the coveted World Series.
Stay tuned for further updates as the series progresses!
