Remember next time an umpire blows a crucial call that they make a decent living to be the guardrails for the game.
The 2025 World Series is underway between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 was Friday, in which the Blue Jays won, 11-4. Game 2 is Saturday night.
The World Series crew chief is Mark Wegner. He is working the Fall Classic as crew chief for the first time.
How Much Do World Series Umpires Make?
According to Front Office Sports, umpires selected to work the World Series receive a $20,000 bonus in addition to expenses, an increase from the playoff bonus of $17,500 plus expenses. These are flat bonuses, meaning umpires receive the same total amount regardless of how long the series lasts.
MLB umpires earn between $150,000 and $450,000 per year, with the average salary around $300,000. Being an MLB umpire is a full-time commitment due to the demanding year-round schedule and extensive responsibilities. Although the regular season lasts roughly six months, the remainder of the year is spent on off-season training, performance evaluations, and preparation for the upcoming season. The long hours during the season and ongoing year-round duties make it challenging for umpires to maintain another job.
According to Front Office Sports, these are the highest paid umpires in MLB:
- Jerry Layne (35 years): $450,000
- Larry Vanover (31 years): $450,000
- Brian OâNora (27 years): $450,000
- Bill Miller (25 years): $450,000
- Ron Kulpa (25 years): $450,000
Who are the World Series Umpire Crew?
The rest of the World Series umpiring crew includes Jordan Baker, Adam Hamari, Adrian Johnson, Will Little, Alan Porter, and John Tumpane. Porter is making his third World Series appearance, while Baker is working his second. Hamari, Johnson, Little, and Tumpane are all officiating the World Series for the first time. With seven umpires in the rotation, a different umpire will be behind home plate for each potential game in the best-of-seven series, starting with Little in Game 1. One umpire will sit out each game, and in Game 2, when Wegner is off the field, Porter will serve as crew chief.
MLB selects World Series umpires mainly based on merit, prioritizing those with top performance ratings, consistent officiating, and proven experience in high-pressure situations.
Technology Results in Less Human Error from Umpires
What has long been debated is the necessity of an umpire with the changes in technology that allow for cameras to capture and determine the right call on the diamond. Since 2008, MLB instituted a video replay challenge system for out-safe calls, which has been key after decades of what could have been calls.
Starting next season, MLB is instituting an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system, a first for the league.
MLB experimented with the technology in Spring Training and in the minor leagues and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the system “had staying power and created momentum for the game.”
“We used the same process with ABS that started with listening to fans, conducting extensive testing at the Minor League level, and trying at every step to make the game better,” he added. “Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way thatâs acceptable to players. The strong preference from players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today.”
Seen as a balance between the ârobot umpsâ that could call every pitch perfectly and the traditional human error of on-field umpires, the ABS Challenge System allows teams to contest critical missed calls. Each MLB manager receives two challenges per game and retains them if the challenge is successful.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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