NBC is making good on its promise to showcase MLB analysts with ties to the teams playing for its broadcasts.
MLB Network analyst and former New York Mets pitcher Al Leiter and former Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker will serve as game analysts for NBC’s Opening Day broadcast of Pirates-Mets later this month. NBC play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian, who will call the game, revealed the assignments during an interview on MartyTime TV. Sports Media Watch later confirmed the trio would call Opening Day.
Additionally, veteran pitcher Adam Ottavino, who remains a free agent after playing for the New York Yankees last season, will serve as a studio analyst alongside host Ahmed Fareed, Sports Media Watch reports.
Analysts for the second game of NBC’s Opening Day doubleheader, a primetime matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, have not yet been reported. Jason Benetti, who will serve as NBC’s lead MLB voice calling Sunday Night Baseball throughout the season, will be on the call for the 8:30 p.m. ET game.
Leiter comes into his NBC assignment with a solid base of broadcasting experience. The former Met works for MLB Network and has made stops at YES Network, ESPN, and Fox Sports throughout his broadcasting career. Walker, on the other hand, does not have any formal national broadcasting experience and is still technically an active player.
Last month, Awful Announcing confirmed that NBC plans to use local analysts for its MLB coverage this season, leaving Benetti and Vasgersian, who is effectively the No. 2 play-by-play voice calling Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff, without permanent partners in the booth.
Notably, neither Leiter nor Walker serve as full-time local analysts for either of the teams they’re representing. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues, or if NBC will pull from the actual local broadcast booths of the participating teams in the future.