How are the local television booths stacking up during this 2025 MLB season? We asked Awful Announcing readers to evaluate each of the 30 teams’ local TV broadcasts. The results were these announcer rankings, based on more than 31,500 individual votes from more than 3,000 respondents.
As with our local NHL announcer rankings, local NBA announcer rankings, men’s college basketball announcer rankings (regular season and March Madness), NFL announcer rankings, college football announcer rankings, and more, each booth was graded from A to F. That came with readers providing comments on individual teams as well.
We then converted the letter grades from those responses to numerical grades, with A corresponding to 4 and F corresponding to 0, and ranked the booths accordingly. For local MLB booths, this is the eighth time we’ve done these rankings; see the 2024 and 2023 editions, which have links to the versions before that as well.
The average grade across the 30 teams this time was 2.39, corresponding to a C. This is near the lower end of the rankings we’ve conducted recently: it’s above the 2.31 for local NBA announcers, but below the 2.43 for NFL announcers, 2.45 for CFB announcers, 2.61 for local NHL announcers, and 2.89 for men’s NCAA Tournament announcers. It’s also below the 2.42 last year and the 2.50 in 2023.
The rankings for teams placed 16 through 30 are listed below in reverse order. The rankings for the top 15 teams are available on the second page here. Each entry lists the team with its primary play-by-play voice, followed by its primary analyst or analysts, and then notable substitute announcers, listed under “also” where applicable. (We tried to represent other substitute announcers people mentioned in the comments, where possible, as well.) You can use Control-F to find a particular team you’re interested in.
Let’s get to the grades and selected reader comments (sometimes lightly edited for spelling and grammar) without further ado. (We apologize for some screengrabs being far from perfect quality. We strove for the best we could get, but some teams were difficult to get good shots of. If readers have better ones to sub in for any particular booth, drop me a line.)
30. Athletics (Jenny Cavnar, Dallas Braden; also Chris Caray on play-by-play): 1.27
Most common grade: F (35.3% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 40.1%
The Athletics have faced significant criticism on multiple fronts this year, including their move to a minor-league ballpark in Sacramento without using any city’s name (which has drawn plenty of jibes from other teams’ announcers) and their struggles to build their planned new stadium in Las Vegas. And the announcers have taken their share of criticism as well, including for elements around that two-stage move (such as Braden’s appearance at the Vegas “groundbreaking” and Caray calling a home run a foul ball and partially blaming the stadium setup).
The voting history and current comments here suggest this low ranking wasn’t solely because of the team’s move. However, with that move drama playing out for the last several seasons, it’s possible it had an impact on some of the 2024 and 2023 voting as well. These three announcers were also on the call for the Athletics last year when they were still in Oakland, and they received a 1.45 in our poll then, while Braden received a 1.65 in 2023 with Vince Cotroneo, Johnny Doskow, and Glen Kuiper on play-by-play. Both of those years saw the A’s place 29th of 30 teams.
Overall, this doesn’t look like a booth that saw its ranking plummet off a cliff solely due to the team’s move. However, the move may have played a role in the 395 Fs they received (of 1,119 votes). That was by far the highest number in these rankings, and was also a 7% jump in F votes from last year.
Cavnar drew the most discussion in the comments, including a lot of criticism. Some of that was over her voice, while some was over specific mistakes and decisions, such as a missed “game over” call against the Rays on July 2. A few other lines there included “reads balls off the bat poorly” and “often loses track of fly balls.” But others found her “great” and “very knowledgeable,” and several said she has improved over time.
Braden and Caray both drew positive and negative comments. Many praised Braden’s enthusiasm, and several who differentiated amongst the broadcasters ranked him as the top of the group. But he took criticism as well, from “clown” to “could do without.” And while quite a few people said they preferred Caray to Cavnar and want him as the main voice alongside Braden, others went the opposite way.
All in all, there were a lot of critical comments for this booth as a whole. Those included “About on par with how their first season is going in Sacramento” and “This announce team is on brand for the Sad Sac A’s.” Thus, it’s not surprising they received the lowest grade in the poll, and one of the lowest grades in any of the recent rankings we’ve done.
29. Colorado Rockies (Drew Goodman, Jeff Huson; also Jack Corrigan and Jerry Schemmel on play-by-play and Ryan Spilborghs and Cory Sullivan on analysis): 1.73
Most common grade: C (39.8% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 60.6%
The Rockies’ primary booth is the same as it has been for decades. Goodman has been on these calls since 2002, while Huson joined in 2006, and Spillborghs (quite a frequent analyst) came on board in 2014. Their grade and ranking haven’t changed much from the past few years. In 2024, they drew a 1.78 (28th), and in 2023, they netted a 1.81 (27th). They drew 361 Cs out of 909 total votes.
In the comments, there was notable praise for Goodman in particular. That included “a pro’s pro,” “a legend,” and “great, very fair.” However, another viewer found him “terrible,” and one called him “an overboard homer for the Rockies’ catcher Hunter Goodman. You’re related, we get it.” (The two are not related, as Drew noted back when Hunter was still in the minors.)
The overall tenor of the comments was actually quite positive relative to the grade. Several respondents praised the work this booth has done, calling it a struggling team, with lines like “Gotta give them an A for toughing it out.” However, some found them “boring” and “as bad as the team,” and the numerical grades overall weren’t great for this booth.
28. Miami Marlins: (Kyle Sielaff, Tommy Hutton; also Craig Minervini on play-by-play and Rod Allen, Jeff Nelson, and Gaby Sánchez on analysis): 1.79
Most common grade: C (46.7% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 65.3%
The Marlins’ broadcast saw a notable change this year, with Sielaff (who had previously been their main radio voice since 2023 and worked as a host and backup on their broadcasts before that) stepping into the primary play-by-play role in place of Paul Severino (who held that slot from 2018-24). Hutton is well-established there, having worked as the main analyst from 1997 to 2015 and again from 2021 on. The other three analysts have also been regular contributors to the TV broadcasts over the last couple of years.
Despite that play-by-play change, the Miami booth wound up almost exactly where it ranked last season (1.81, 27th). And the bottom five has been a common place for this team overall, with them placing there in four of the six rankings we’ve done and finishing 24th one other time (although they broke out of that in 2023 with a 2.30, good for 18th). A key part of that was them only receiving 28 A grades out of 867 responses, the lowest number in this poll.
In the comments, many were critical of the play-by-play move from Severino to Sielaff. That included lines such as “Huge downgrade this season after letting Paul Severino go. Marlins mess up keeping talent on all fronts around for a long time” and “[Sielaff] was much more animated and excited on the radio broadcasts imo. He seems subdued on TV. Wish he wasn’t,” although another viewer found him “enthusiastic and well-prepared.”
On the analysts, there was some individual praise for all of Hutton, Allen, and Nelson. But the majority of grades came without comments.
27. Chicago White Sox (John Schriffen, Steve Stone; also Connor McKnight on play-by-play and analysis, and Gordon Beckham and Dan Plesac on analysis): 1.82
Most common grade: C (36.1% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 61.9%
The White Sox have had one of the most-discussed announcer teams in recent years, especially around play-by-play voice Jason Benetti’s move to the Detroit Tigers ahead of last season and Schriffen coming in as his replacement. Benetti and Stone (with Beckham as a frequent analyst as well) earned a 3.03 in 2023, sixth in our rankings, but Schriffen and Stone dropped to dead last with a 1.15 last year.
The 1.82 this year is a significant rise over that, and, notably, a team this low in the rankings earned 94 As (of 1,066 votes). That was ahead of several teams, well above them. But the 253 Ds and 153 Fs they received kept this booth near the bottom.
Several commenters on this team cited year-over-year improvement from Schriffen, including “has settled down a bit,” “is getting better,” and “has brought fresh young energy to the broadcast this year.” And multiple respondents really liked him. But there remain many Schriffen critics, including some with lines such as “makes you wish for hearing loss” and “beyond awful.”
On the analysis side, Stone largely received plaudits. Those included “Steve Stone alone keeps them from [an] F” (on a D grade), “The A is for Steve Stone,” and “Steve Stone saves this booth.” But he had some critics as well, including “Stone drones on and on with no one to reign him in.” And all of McKnight, Beckham, and Plesac received some praise for their work.
26. Washington Nationals (Bob Carpenter, Kevin Frandsen; also Dan Kolko on play-by-play and Kolko, Ryan Zimmerman, Alex Avila, and Michael Morse on analysis): 2.00
Most common grade: C (41.7% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 72.9%
A bottom-five placing is nothing new for the Nationals, who have been in that group in each of our rankings. They were 26th last year and 28th in 2023. However, the numerical grades have improved over the past three years, from 1.69 to 1.83 to 2.00.
This team earned 233 B votes of 941 total, which was key to lifting them above the bottom four and to a C average. They also drew 61 As. But their 97 Fs kept them from rising further.
The comments here saw notable praise for Carpenter, who has been the team’s main play-by-play voice since 2006 and is retiring after this season. Lines there included “the best,” “great,” and “an icon in DC.” Several readers also noted they’ll miss him, and lines on likely replacement Kolko included “This booth is going to fall off a cliff when Bob retires,” “D when Carpenter is gone” (on a C grade), “an immediate mute button,” and “needs to step it up” (albeit with some praise for his work in a reporting/hosting role). But Carpenter also took some criticism, including “sounds like he is tired of seeing bad baseball,” “the human Quaalude,” and “has lost a step.”
On the analysis side, Frandsen (who has held that role since 2023, replacing F.P. Santangelo) received positive feedback, including “moved the needle up after the disaster that was FP.” Several respondents liked his energy. But others questioned his enunciation and insights, including with “usually detracts with his mindless homerism and inane chatter.” All of Morse, Avila, and Zimmerman received positive feedback for their work as substitute analysts.
25. Pittsburgh Pirates (Greg Brown, Bob Walk; also Joe Block and Rob King on play-by-play and John Wehner, Neil Walker, Kevin Young, Matt Capps, and Michael McKenry on analysis): 2.01
Most common grade: C (42.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 72.7%
The Pirates’ booth narrowly avoided the bottom five thanks to a 2.0089 versus the Nationals’ 2.0032, but just trailed the Rangers’ 2.0093. That was the tightest three-team cluster in the whole poll.
Brown and Walk have both worked on the Pirates’ TV and radio broadcasts in some combination since 1994. Brown’s primary TV partner was Lanny Frattare through 2008, with Walk taking that role afterwards. But this team has a lot of back-and-forth between their radio and TV crews, and a lot of rotation of analysts in particular.
This has generally been the group for the past few seasons, though, and that makes it interesting to see their rating drop so much this year. They drew a 2.18 (22nd) in 2023 and a 2.15 (20th) last year. This season, they drew 75 Fs out of 900 votes, which is part of why they’re not higher.
In the comments, Brown was the most-discussed figure. Opinions there ranged from “getting up there but still as solid as ever” to “some of the more memorable catchphrases this side of the Mississippi” to “I feel like Brown would rather be at the dentist.” And he and the others also took some flak for homerism, including one respondent who called Brown “a total organizational shill who will try to spin anything the owner or GM says into something positive.” However, another viewer had an amusing line about how Brown seems to be getting tired of the team’s futility, opining “Through all the futility, Greg Brown has never been closer to going all Howard Beale in Network than he has been this season.”
Opinions varied on the analysts and the backup play-by-play voices. Walk saw lines from “great and could do national TV coverage” to “seems unprepared at times,” and Block drew discussion ranging from “very good” to “too boring.” And while Wehner and Walker, in particular, of the other analysts drew some praise, several commented that there was too much rotation and not enough consistency.
24. Texas Rangers (Dave Raymond, David Murphy; also Jared Sandler on play-by-play and Mike Bacsik and Dave Valle on analysis): 2.01
Most common grade: C (51.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.9%
As noted above, the Rangers’ booth earned this spot thanks to a slightly higher grade than the Pirates’ team, with more decimal places considered. But it was very close. They drew fewer Fs (54 of 856 versus 75 of 900) than the Pittsburgh announcers, but also fewer As (40 of 856 versus 55 of 900).
This is the second straight year for this group, following primary analyst C.J. Nitkowski’s exit for the Atlanta Braves after the 2023 season. Raymond joined the Rangers’ team in 2016 and has been their main play-by-play voice since 2017, while Murphy came on board in 2019 but has taken on a larger role the past couple of seasons. Sandler has been part of these broadcasts since 2015, but has primarily worked on the studio and radio sides, while Valle and Bacsik joined in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
The 2.01 here is a bit of a drop from the 2.07 (25th) the Rangers received in these rankings last year and the 2.20 (23rd) they earned in 2023. In the comments, however, some offered praise for this current group relative to the past, including “Losing C.J. was a huge addition for me.”
In other comments, there were several specific criticisms of Raymond. Those included “too often acts like his audience is watching baseball for the first time” and “unprofessional broadcaster who’s just not good.” But others praised him as “extremely knowledgeable,” “good PBP guy,” and “has been better.”
On the analysis side, many of the comments were about Bacsik. Some positive lines there included “no one can explain the game’s intricacies like he can,” “great,” and “great insights.” However, others found him “godawful” and “terrible.”
23. New York Yankees (Michael Kay, Paul O’Neill; also Ryan Ruocco and Justin Shackil on play-by-play, John Flaherty on play-by-play and analysis, and Joe Girardi, David Cone, and Jeff Nelson on analysis): 2.08
Most common grade: B (25.4% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 66.6%
The Yankees’ announcers are holding relatively steady here. Their booth drew a 2.13 both last year and in 2023, good enough for 22nd and 24th overall, respectively, in those seasons. They received 215 As, 180 Ds, and 234 Fs (the second-most in this poll) out of 1,240 votes this year, with a low percentage of A/B/C grades compared to some booths below them. But they’re also the first booth in these rankings to get mostly Bs (albeit barely; they had 315 Bs to 296 Cs).
While this team has seen significant change on the radio side over the last few seasons, they’ve maintained a lot of consistency on the TV side. Kay has been the lead play-by-play voice since 2002. O’Neill has also been involved since that year, and he’s been the main analyst since 2007.
The comments saw a lot of criticism for Kay in particular. Lines there included “Can’t spell hack without K,” “audio vomit,” “the personification of hubris and arrogance,” “out of step with the game,” and “gets worse every year.” Several also expressed a desire to see more Ruocco and less Kay. But others found Kay “still one of the better PBP men out there” and “really good.”
On the analysis side, Cone in particular drew praise, especially for the times he worked in a three-person booth with Kay and O’Neill. Some of that included “the perfect booth” and “Best when David Cone is working.” O’Neill got his own laurels, though, including “best color commentator of this group.” And Girardi and Flaherty earned praise as well.
22. Cincinnati Reds (John Sadak, Chris Welsh; also Jim Day on play-by-play and Jeff Brantley, Barry Larkin, and Sam LeCure on analysis): 2.09
Most common grade: C (51.5% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.6%
The Reds barely edged out the Yankees here, 2.087 to 2.078. But they did so thanks to fewer strongly-critical votes: while their most common grade was a C (491 of 954 votes) rather than a B, they only received 54 Fs (and earned 64 As).
This Cincinnati booth has largely had the same figures since Sadak replaced Thom Brennaman ahead of the 2021 season, but they’ve been in different combinations. Welsh has been working on their broadcasts for 33 seasons, while Larkin has been there for five, and Brantley has been working on the team’s radio and TV broadcasts since 2006. The Reds’ booth drew a 2.50 (13th) in 2023 and a 2.16 (18th) last year, so this is a drop for them.
Larkin (who primarily works home games) drew particular ire in the comments. That included “such a stick in the mud,” “adds nothing to the lineup,” “the weak link,” and “terrible.” Brantley drew mixed responses, from “as good as it gets” and “the best of the whole bunch” to “will always weigh this broadcast down” and “grating.” Welsh drew largely positive comments, and several suggestions that he should be used more on TV, as he spent more time on the radio this season.
The comments were also a mixed bag for Sadak. Several noted they miss and prefer Brennaman, and Sadak drew specific criticism as “too much of a homer,” “incredibly pouty when things don’t go the Reds’ way,” and “doesn’t get excited when things happen, he just gets louder.” However, others found him “top notch” and “very good,” and one voter said there’s “nobody better at calling the BIG moments than John Sadak.”
21. Kansas City Royals (Ryan Lefebvre, Rex Hudler; also Jake Eisenberg on play-by-play and Jeff Montgomery, Mike Sweeney, and Jeremy Guthrie on analysis): 2.11
Most common grade: C (42.9%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.8%
The Royals drew a 1.98 (25th) in 2023, but a 2.16 (19th) last year. Lefebvre has been their main TV play-by-play voice since 2008, while Hudler has been the primary analyst since 2012. This group drew 398 Cs and 244 Bs out of 944 total votes.
The most common theme in the comments was complaints about these broadcasts’ audio quality (especially on the home broadcasts), from “sound like the TV quality is from the 1970s” to “always bad” to “underwater.” And a few noted that this has been an issue for more than a decade.
On the announcers themselves, Hudler took the most criticism. That ranged from “a grating redneck” to “an embarrassing rube” to “too much of a homer.” But others found him “awesome” and “great.” Lefebvre drew mixed responses, from “solid” to “the snarkiest PBP guy to his team.” There was a lot of praise for fill-in play-by-play voice Eisenberg, from “gem” to “a star,” and several argued for him to get more work in the future.
20. Cleveland Guardians (Matt Underwood, Rick Manning; also Al Pawlowski on play-by-play and Chris Gimenez and Pat Tabler on analysis): 2.16
Most common grade: C (44.6%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.2%
This is a notable drop for the Guardians’ booth from the 2.37 (13th) they drew last year, but closer to the 2.27 (19th) they received in 2023. Underwood has been the team’s main TV play-by-play voice since 2007, while Manning has been their lead analyst since 1990. They received 83 As and 58 Fs out of 936 votes.
A repeated theme in the comments was criticism of the main broadcast booth’s banter. That included lines such as “Underwood and Manning talk so much about everything but the play-by-play that they often make errors in what is actually going on,” “spend too much time talking to themselves,” and “just funny guys who think they’re funny.” But some others had praise for Underwood and Manning’s chemistry, including with increased conversations with sideline reporter Andre Knott in recent years (although one fan didn’t like those), and the main booth drew one “best in baseball” line.
There was a lot of praise for Pawlowski in particular as well. That included “underrated,” “better than Matt,” and “Pawlowski, Gimenez far superior to Manning and Underwood.” But the overall commentary on this booth was mostly negative, despite having a higher number of As than Fs.
19. St. Louis Cardinals (Chip Caray, Brad Thompson; also Tom Ackerman on play-by-play and Rick Ankiel, Mark Sweeney, and Al Hrabosky on analysis): 2.17
Most common grade: C (33.6%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 74.5%
Caray has only been in this role since 2023, coming over from the Atlanta Braves ahead of that season. Thompson has been on the Cardinals’ telecasts since 2018.
This booth earned a 1.92 (26th) in 2023 and a 2.13 (23rd) last year. Thus, they performed similarly to 2024, but have come up since their start. They drew 108 As and 97 Fs out of 968 votes. They barely edged out the Guardians for 19th, receiving a 2.1652 versus a 2.1645.
These comments saw particular criticism of Caray. That included “There are some sons of broadcasters who are really good. Chip Caray isn’t one of those,” “unlistenable,” “seemed better when he was with the Braves,” and “How is Chip Caray in a major league booth?” But another respondent said, “Chip and Brad have really developed true chemistry.”
Another repeated theme in the comments was homerism. That included “They are cheerleaders,” “all positive, no negative/honesty,” “Caray is such a homer and not objective,” and “Thompson is awful, he sugarcoats everything.” But Sweeney (the most frequent substitute analyst) drew praise for a willingness to be critical, including “good critic” and “very good and the only thing keeping this from a grade of F” (on a D grade).
18. Houston Astros (Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum; also Kevin Eschenfelder on play-by-play and Jeff Bagwell on analysis): 2.17
Most common grade: C (38.5%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 78.4%
The Astros’ group narrowly edged out the Cardinals’ booth, picking up a 2.172 versus a 2.165. They drew 81 As and 287 Bs out of 924 total votes.
Kalas and Blum have been the main figures here since 2017. Blum also worked on these broadcasts for a few years before that. They earned a 2.14 (23rd) in 2023 and a 2.13 (21st) last year.
In the comments, there was some significant praise for the main duo of Kalas and Blum, including “perfect chemistry and by far the most enjoyable broadcast team to listen to” and “Always on top of their game. Entertaining, insightful, and they play well off of each other.” But they saw notable criticism too, including “More biased than other teams,” “Over the Houston vs. the world attitude,” and “Kalas gets amped too easily.”
The substitute voices here drew a lot of criticism, especially Bagwell. That included “Bagwell and Eschenfelder need a lot of work,” “Never put Bagwell in the booth again. He mumbles and brings nothing insightful to the broadcast,” “[Bagwell is] as good of a broadcaster as he is front office advisor and postseason player, all of which are not good,” and “Get Bagpipes off.”
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (Steve Berthiaume, Bob Brenly; also Luis Gonzalez, Tom Candiotti, and Josh Collmenter on analysis): 2.19
Most common grade: C (38.6%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.7%
The Diamondbacks’ booth earned 78 As and 97 Fs of 1,032 votes. (Interestingly enough, they drew the second-fewest votes last year, but were well clear of that this time around.) Berthiaume has been the main play-by-play voice here since 2013, while Brenly has been the primary analyst since that year as well (after previously filling that role from 1998-2000).
The comments here had a lot of criticism for Brenly in particular. That included “just awful,” “atrocious,” “lots of borderline racist comments,” and “has slipped over the years.” Berthiaume took his own criticism, though, including “so smarmy,” “trying to play it too cool sometimes,” “one of the biggest homers,” and “a voice that makes me crazy.” And there were many remarks along the lines of “milquetoast,” “tired and boring,” and “not horrible, but nothing memorable either.”
There were several who suggested that the Diamondbacks might do well to shake this booth up a bit. That included praise for substitute analysts Gonzalez and Candiotti, including “A Luis Gonzalez-heavy booth may be the proper answer with a new PBP person” and “Candiotti needs more TV time, Gonzalez holds his own.” We’ll see if they make any changes.
16. Tampa Bay Rays (Dewayne Staats, Brian Anderson; also Andy Freed on play-by-play and Doug Waechter on analysis): 2.27
Most common grade: C (38.5%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.3%
The Rays’ booth drew a 2.65 (12th) in 2023 and a 2.18 (17th) last year, so this is a slight rise from where they were last season, but down from the year before. They received 119 As on 958 votes, and just 58 Fs, which helped propel them above other booths that mostly earned Cs. Staats has been their main play-by-play voice since their 1998 beginnings, while Anderson has been their primary analyst since 2008.
In the comments, many had high praise for both of the main tandems. For Anderson, that included “Brian Anderson is the most underrated color guy in baseball” and “Anderson is the best pitcher in the booth, better than Darling.” For Staats, some comments there included “Always a highlight of watching Rays baseball is hearing Dewayne,” “Consistently excellent for decades,” and “Great for years—Staats is a pro’s pro.”
The duo’s longevity and continuity also drew praise. Some lines there included “Staats is vastly underrated. He and Anderson have great chemistry that is underappreciated for how whirlwind the team’s performance has been during their tenure,” and “My only A vote.” Freed received plaudits for his fill-in work, too. But others only found this group “average,” and there were a lot of low votes without comments.
Read on for teams 15-1!
Pages: 1 2