On Friday, the 121st World Series will commence between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers will be looking to win their second straight title, while the Blue Jays aim to secure their first championship since 1993.

Game 1 will be defined by the pitching duel between Blake Snell and Trey Yesavage. Behind home plate, the crew chief calling balls and strikes will be longtime umpire Will Little. After six postseason appearances, Little will be taking part in his first World Series, according to Umpire Scorecards.

It turns out that Little has been one of the fairest umpires over the past decade. He has consistently ranked high in call accuracy and was ranked No. 1 for three seasons—in 2015, 2016, and 2018. This bodes well for both the Dodgers and Blue Jays, as they can expect a trustworthy presence behind the plate.

According to Baseball Reference, Little has worked in other prominent baseball tournaments, including the World Baseball Classic in 2013, 2017, and 2023. He began his MLB career in 2013 as a fill-in umpire before becoming full-time in 2015.

Little, 41, hails from Fall Branch, Tennessee. During his time at Milligan College, he played baseball while studying biology.

As Little embarks on his first World Series, baseball fans hope he avoids becoming the next Don Denkinger.

This cautionary note comes 40 years after one of the most notorious umpiring moments in baseball history, which occurred during Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.

The Cardinals were leading the series 3-2 and were just three outs away from winning the title, with a 2-1 lead in the 9th inning. Todd Worrell was pitching, Jack Clark was on first base, and Royals batter Jorge Orta stepped up to the plate.

Orta hit a blooper to the right side and was charging to first base. Clark fielded the ball and threw it to Worrell, who covered the bag. First base umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe, but replays clearly showed that the ball was in Worrell’s glove before Orta touched the base.

Following that controversial call, the Royals rallied to win the game 3-2 and went on to dominate St. Louis 10-0 in Game 7 to claim the championship.

With history in mind, Will Little will want to ensure his calls are accurate so that a similar situation doesn’t repeat itself in this year’s World Series.
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