MLB announced umpires Ryan Addition, Sean Barber, John Libka, Ben May and Roberto Ortíz have been promoted to full-time status. Ortíz, 37, makes history as MLB’s first Puerto Rican-born full-time umpire.
Ortíz had been a Minor League umpire since 2009 and worked Triple-A East games last season. He also has 411 Major League games of on-field experience as a call-up umpire since 2016.
Addition, 36, has been a Minor League umpire since 2010. He has worked 381 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2017 and most notably was behind the plate for Corey Kluber’s no-hitter last season.
Barber, 36, has been a Minor League umpire since 2006 and worked Triple-A East games last season. He has the most MLB experience of the group, calling 690 games as a spot umpire since 2014.
Libka, 34, has been a Minor League umpire since 2010 and worked Triple-A West games last season. He has 371 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2017.
May, 40, has been a Minor League umpire since 2007 and worked Triple-A West games last season. He has 650 Major League games as a call-up umpire since 2014.
Joe West among 5 MLB umpires to retire
The aforementioned names fill the slots left by the retirements of veteran MLB umpires Fieldin Culbreth, Kerwin Danley, Gerry Davis, Brian Gorman and Joe West.
West retires with an all-time record 5,460 Major League games since his debut in September 1976. He broke Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem’s record of games worked on May 25, 2021.
Culbreth worked three World Series (2008, 2012 and 2018) during his 25-year career and was on the field for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.’s 3,000th hit.
Danley enjoyed a 25-year career as well and made MLB history in becoming the first African-American crew chief. Prior to becoming an umpire, he was teammates with Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn at San Diego State University.
Davis retires with a combined 5,000 games worked between the regular season and postseason. His 4,849 games worked in the regular season is fourth all-time, and his 151 postseason games is an MLB record.
Gorman worked three World Series in his 30-year Major League career and long represented the Major League Umpires on MLB’s Playing Rules Committee.
With the aforementioned umpires retiring, the new crew chiefs on the Major League staff are veteran umpires Laz Díaz, Greg Gibson, Marvin Hudson, Ron Kulpa and Bill Welke.
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