2026 staff changes

[MLB umpire observer]

My understanding is Riggs and David Arrieta have been released. Any one else heard about any changes?

[jimurrayalterego]

18 hours ago, MLB umpire observer said:

My understanding is Riggs and David Arrieta have been released. Any one else heard about any changes?

Is it still up or out?

[Marcus6]

On 12/27/2025 at 2:54 PM, jimurrayalterego said:

Is it still up or out?

Not surprising on those two - Riggs was only up for 2 games in 2025. I think it’s still up or out but MLB has changed the timeline and umpires can advance quicker through the minors than the old system.  Bacon has been at AAA for a long long time and has been up almost full time for the last year or so.

[The Ripper]

On 12/26/2025 at 7:24 PM, MLB umpire observer said:

My understanding is Riggs and David Arrieta have been released. Any one else heard about any changes?

Mark Carlson has retired, fill in slot has not been named yet.

[Marcus6]

On 12/27/2025 at 2:54 PM, jimurrayalterego said:

Is it still up or out?

They let umpires skip levels - see Traynor’s experience who got his first MLB game as a call up during 2025.

[dumbdumb]

22 hours ago, FranklinT said:

They let umpires skip levels - see Traynor’s experience who got his first MLB game as a call up during 2025.

yes he did skip A or low A but not advanced A. he was scheduled to go to the Midwest League which listed as just an A league in 2020 rather than an A-advanced League at the time in 2020 and is listed on the staff, but that was a covid year and MiLB did not play.

in 2021 both Willie and his partner Adam Pierce went to High A East as evidenced by their game on September 1, 2021 in Asheville vs Greenville. Pierce had skipped from a 2nd year in the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League after being there in 2019 while Willie was in the NY Penn League (you will not find Willies name mentioned on the 2021 High A East or any of the other A Leagues on the Steve the umps site, so i went back to a game September 1, 2021 and there were Willie and Adam both as partners. Willie worked Texas League in 2022 and Eastern League in 2023 before promotion to AAA in 2024.

now, lately the fastest trajectory had been 2 umpires, one umpire out of baseball now and Gabe Morales who both started in 2009 and worked a year and a half 2012-2013 in AA and were promoted to AAA in the last half of the year 2013.

then on to Arizona Fall League in 2013 and Spring Training 2014 and then a full fill in with a 123 game season in 2014, or in other words their first full year in triple A and only having about 10-15 AAA plate jobs before being given a major schedule as a fill in MLB, at the beginning of their 6th year in pro ball.

Years ago John P. McSherry went from the Carolina League to the International League skipping AA entirely. Same for Ed Montague going from the California League to the PCL. So it is not unheard of, and many umpires at the top of the class went right to Long A ball and got to skip the short season leagues altogether. many times they just spent 1 year at A and 1 year at AA before moving into AAA where they work before getting the call.

but, with his first year as a fill-in, in his 7th year of pro ball, and 66 games, Willie looks to be in a good position going forward. no guarantees, just as was mentioned in this OP. Riggs worked 128 games as a fill in one year and now apparently is released after only 2 last year.

however, recently if you find someone working 140 or more games in a fill in season, those have all gone on to make it, as have others not working that total.

[dumbdumb]

from a post above-wonder who the new crew chief will be and the fill in moving up?

not a change but ready to go article

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/mlb/2026/01/13/mlb-umpire-hunter-wendelstedt-injury-spring-training/88140624007/

[MLB umpire observer]

Unconfirmed but the rumor is the new hires are Brian Walsh and Tom Hanahan 

[Marcus6]

It amazes me how much John Bacon has worked, how old he is, and how long he has been a fill in and he keeps getting passed over evidently.

[dumbdumb]

On 1/27/2026 at 1:40 PM, Marcus6 said:

It amazes me how much John Bacon has worked, how old he is, and how long he has been a fill in and he keeps getting passed over evidently.

Segal had the same thing not too far back with 642 games between 2014 and 2019 before signing in 2020, and in 2018 141 games. 

in more recent times anyone with a 140 games or more in a season have gone on to receive the call, but a 140 or more game season is not necessarily a prerequisite.                                                                                                                                    

 

 

               

[Marcus6]

There are going to be a good number of retirements coming up, so there’s that.

[umpintosh]

On 1/27/2026 at 1:40 PM, Marcus6 said:

It amazes me how much John Bacon has worked, how old he is, and how long he has been a fill in and he keeps getting passed over evidently.

Bacon isn't crispy yet; give him another year of cooking, and he'll be hired.

[dumbdumb]

On 2/1/2026 at 9:42 PM, Marcus6 said:

There are going to be a good number of retirements coming up, so there’s that.

well, with the 22 brand new hires in the 1999 situation, and now at the top of the pay scale, and being given up to 2 years credit for call up work based on x number of prior call up games, and supposedly some work on a better retirement package over past contracts that sounds very plausible.

[Marcus6]

On 12/26/2025 at 8:24 PM, MLB umpire observer said:

My understanding is Riggs and David Arrieta have been released. Any one else heard about any changes?

Both of these spotted in ACC box scores this weekend 

[dumbdumb]

16 minutes ago, Marcus6 said:

Both of these spotted in ACC box scores this weekend 

yep just saw one of those in florida now too. a while ago quite a few worked in the early part of the D1 schedule before heading to spring training, some were on call up list on down to other levels in MiLB. So college ball early would not be a definite indicator of being let go. that may have changed by now. it may not even be allowed now contractually.

if you are on call up and working some now, IMHO, only base games, to lower the risk of injury before spring training would be a good idea. why get knocked out on the plate at D1 level if working way to Big Leagues.

 

[Marcus6]

20 minutes ago, dumbdumb said:

yep just saw one of those in florida now too. a while ago quite a few worked in the early part of the D1 schedule before heading to spring training, some were on call up list on down to other levels in MiLB. So college ball early would not be a definite indicator of being let go. that may have changed by now. it may not even be allowed now contractually.

if you are on call up and working some now, IMHO, only base games, to lower the risk of injury before spring training would be a good idea. why get knocked out on the plate at D1 level if working way to Big Leagues.

 

I think I noticed Denver Dangerfield doing an early season college game last year in Florida and assumed he was released - but was just getting some work in I guess.

[GerryB]

Spring training starts tomorrow I believe. Any further word on the MLB roster or crews?

[dumbdumb]

19 hours ago, GerryB said:

Spring training starts tomorrow I believe. Any further word on the MLB roster or crews?

i believe several entities that have previously given out that info may have been contacted to not give that info out early before the official MLB public announcement. 

i do not believe other entities give out their rosters, ie High Schools, Collegiate, semi-pros, Pros, MiLB. you have to find out through the box scores. There is also gambling situations involved with prior knowledge and when to give out that knowledge.

[dumbdumb]

On 1/15/2026 at 12:21 PM, MLB umpire observer said:

Unconfirmed but the rumor is the new hires are Brian Walsh and Tom Hanahan 

confirmed and for @GerryB - with carlson and cuzzi as the retirees and Baker getting crew chief after his 2nd WS this year. looks like that might have been the game plan in making hugh?, in hindsight. and walsh and hanahan will be given 2 years of seniority and pay scale credit for their call up work, if the new contract is the same from the previous contract in that area. (do not know what the amount is to get that 1 or 2 years credit - do know that Bellino got 1 year for his 144 games of call up credit, so not sure where those breakpoints are).

and JP worked 18 total games last year, not 5, 6 as HPU. could they not check retrosheet for the article??.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mlb-first-female-umpire-jen-001724511.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADL5IAPH5aa0EJrGPSc7QLEmr_wdeTaZUzDxboEOeZwnPAMBofmSiv58Ag8qvX2WT-VS6ogaz7rPv1SytFgXoR7Dreg-gqSwbau8KtZS3TMPS-bNMPVd7FT_OQ3KOrjVYYhvM-swMH_AhCb8I_4Ktgnjv7wGROhvWA9S8h--kHDD

[Marcus6]

2 hours ago, dumbdumb said:

confirmed and for @GerryB - with carlson and cuzzi as the retirees and Baker getting crew chief after his 2nd WS this year. looks like that might have been the game plan in making hugh?, in hindsight. and walsh and hanahan will be given 2 years of seniority and pay scale credit for their call up work, if the new contract is the same from the previous contract in that area. (do not know what the amount is to get that 1 or 2 years credit - do know that Bellino got 1 year for his 144 games of call up credit, so not sure where those breakpoints are).

and JP worked 18 total games last year, not 5, 6 as HPU. could they not check retrosheet for the article??.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mlb-first-female-umpire-jen-001724511.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADL5IAPH5aa0EJrGPSc7QLEmr_wdeTaZUzDxboEOeZwnPAMBofmSiv58Ag8qvX2WT-VS6ogaz7rPv1SytFgXoR7Dreg-gqSwbau8KtZS3TMPS-bNMPVd7FT_OQ3KOrjVYYhvM-swMH_AhCb8I_4Ktgnjv7wGROhvWA9S8h--kHDD

Would have to think the next in line are Thomas, Jimenez and Bacon. I’d think Pawol will get a job with all they have invested in her, but it will take a few years.

[GerryB]

Thanks @dumbdumb!

[dumbdumb]

On 12/26/2025 at 8:24 PM, MLB umpire observer said:

My understanding is Riggs and David Arrieta have been released. Any one else heard about any changes?

and you were correct again mr inside scoop. the article below has all the invites to spring training, and if you were on the list before but are not on it now without moving up to full time, that means there is no more 'you are in the hunt until you are out of the hunt', because you are now out. anyone else that is missing from the 2025 media guide lineup from last year, would also be out. it is one of the stepping stones just like an invitation to the Arizona Fall League. no AFL equals no MLBU.

could there be some kind of an exception, sure - military duty, health condition being taken care of, etc, but pretty much no invite equals out or released.

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-umpires-hanahan-walsh-promoted-to-major-league-staff?msockid=1c3d086115db641a196a1f661461657c

P.S..and now they can move on to making 40-60k per year at the D1 power 4-6 at 900 to 1000 per game level but there are no health benefits etc., which is a whole lot better than the 185 per game from MiLB when they had to go back down, but they did have other benefits.

[GerryB]

Not on the 2026 ST list who were on the 2025 call up list (if I'm not mistaken)

Navas, Jose (110), 
Nunez, Robert (99), 
Ramos, Charlie (111), 
Rosenberg, Randy (113), 
 

[MLB umpire observer]

On 2/21/2026 at 1:04 PM, GerryB said:

Not on the 2026 ST list who were on the 2025 call up list (if I'm not mistaken)

Navas, Jose (110), 
Nunez, Robert (99), 
Ramos, Charlie (111), 
Rosenberg, Randy (113), 
 

Ramos got hired mid year last year.. Navas, Nunez and Rosenberg haven’t been on the call up list for a few years

[dumbdumb]

10 hours ago, MLB umpire observer said:

Ramos got hired mid year last year.. Navas, Nunez and Rosenberg haven’t been on the call up list for a few years

you are correct. just go to steve the umps website, click on 2025 media guide. right after the full time staff, they have the call up list for 2025. the only 2 missing from the 2025 list are arrieta and riggs. all the ones from last year are on there. the new ones probably worked the Arizona Fall League in october. you can go pull up the AFL box scores and see the new ones that have been mentioned from one of the articles above. just takes a little leg work if you want to do it that way. you can get pretty close. now if you know someone on the inside that will tell you early before the MLB announcement, and i would trust there is someone or someones, more power to ya. i know i have seen some mentioned above on the d1 scene as has been stated. but, in the past that did not necessarily mean they had been released. maybe it does now, especially if the MiLB and MLB stipulate that in their contracts. i would not know that answer. heck, going way back pro MLB umpires worked the college world series. that is in one of those archive articles of all the umpires working the NCAA WS back into the 70's, 60,s, or 50's i forget which.