One of the best-regarded Major League Baseball voices is reportedly the leader in the clubhouse to headline NBC’s new Major League Baseball package.
Fox Sports play-by-play voice Jason Benetti is “the leading candidate” to serve as the lead MLB play-by-play voice for NBC Sports, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported Monday night. According to Glasspiegel, Benetti’s contract with Fox runs through later this year and he and would need the network’s permission to move to NBC.
The voice of the Detroit Tigers and previously the Chicago White Sox, Benetti is most associated with Major League Baseball. But by the time he joined Fox Sports in 2022, Joe Davis had already been named the network’s lead MLB play-by-play voice and Adam Amin had established himself on the “B” team. As a result, Benetti has been third on the depth chart and called zero MLB Postseason games in the four seasons he has been with Fox.
Instead, Benetti’s highest position on the Fox Sports roster is on college football, calling games on the “B” team behind Gus Johnson. He has also worked college basketball and NFL games for Fox.
NBC’s lead baseball voice will have the opportunity to call the fully exclusive “Sunday Night Baseball” window each week — as opposed to a regional game on FOX — plus a Wild Card playoff series.
Benetti would be no stranger to NBC baseball coverage, having served as the voice of the NBC-produced “MLB Sunday Leadoff” package on Peacock in its first year back in 2022. He left that position when he joined Fox.
A role on NBC baseball coverage would presumably allow Benetti to continue calling college football and basketball games in the fall, or even the NBA — which he worked occasionally as a fill-in on Bulls games while voice of the White Sox. His occasional NFL assignment would surely end, with Noah Eagle firmly in place on the “B” team behind Mike Tirico.
NBCUniversal last fall acquired most of the MLB rights package that previously belonged to ESPN. Starting this season, NBC and Peacock will carry “Sunday Night Baseball,” the Wild Card playoffs, an Opening Day game and additional rights — including the “Sunday Leadoff” package that had been airing on Roku the past couple of seasons.
