James Hoye named World Series umpire
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
MLB named veteran umpire James Hoye, 55, crew chief for the 2026 World Series between the Rays and Brewers.
It is his third Fall Classic but first leading the crew, with Game 1 Friday in Milwaukee.
Background
James Hoye is a veteran Major League Baseball umpire, 55, who has worked full time in the majors since 2010. He was part of World Series crews in 2019 and 2022, and the 2026 assignment marks his first time as crew chief of the Fall Classic. MLB announced the full seven-umpire crew for the series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, which opens Friday night in Milwaukee.
How it unfolded
- Oct 22, 2026MLB announced James Hoye as crew chief for the 2026 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, his third World Series and first as crew chief.
- Oct 22, 2026The crew was named: Dan Bellino, Vic Carapazza, Tripp Gibson, Nic Lentz, Gabe Morales and Jim Wolf, with Alfonso Marquez and D.J. Reyburn assigned to assist with replays.
- Oct 22, 2026Game 1 rotation set: Gabe Morales at home plate, Nic Lentz at first, Hoye at second, Vic Carapazza at third, Dan Bellino in left field, Tripp Gibson in right, Jim Wolf as reserve.
- Oct 22, 2026Game 3 assignments: Bellino serves as crew chief while Hoye is off the field, with Lentz at home plate; Hoye is scheduled at home plate for Game 4.
- Oct 23, 2026Game 1 scheduled for Friday night in Milwaukee.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- MLB said having seven umpires allows for distinct home plate assignments across a potential seven-game series, with one umpire off the field each game.
Still unverified
Sources disagree on one replay umpire's name: some reports say Alfonso Marquez, while USA Today says Alfonso Martinez; both list D.J. Reyburn as the other replay umpire.