Welcome back to “On the Air,” in which Sports Media Watch Podcast co-host Armand Broady will offer in-depth breakdowns of broadcasters, on-air performance and career journeys, plus chronicle broader trends in the industry.
“Start spreading the news. New York, New York.” That was the Bob Costas call as the Yankees put the Mariners away in Game 6 of the 2000 ALCS to set up a “Subway Series” with the Mets. That October night 25 years ago next Friday was the last time NBC — a network whose history with MLB dates back to the 1940s — broadcast a postseason baseball game.
But that’s about to change. Starting in 2026, NBC will reportedly air “Sunday Night Baseball” and MLB wild card playoff games.
What will also change is NBC’s lead play-by-play voice. Costas left the network in early 2019 and retired after the 2024 season, signaling an end of an era. In its 1980s heyday, NBC baseball broadcasts were anchored by legendary baseball announcers like Costas, Dick Enberg, Joe Garagiola and Vin Scully, unique game callers with singular and distinct styles. Those days have largely ended. Today, it is harder to distinguish one broadcaster from another.
That isn’t to suggest a lack of strong play-by-play announcers in modern day baseball. In fact, there are a handful of current baseball broadcasters who deserve a shot to place their stamp on NBC’s MLB telecasts the way Costas did so many years ago.
Kevin Brown
The ESPN play-by-play announcer has become a fan favorite as voice of the Baltimore Orioles. Having a team make the postseason two of the last three years — including the franchise’s first 100-win season in 43 years — certainly helps. The Syracuse alum has meshed well with quirky analyst Ben McDonald.
Brown is perhaps most known for being taken off the air in 2023 by team ownership after he pointed out prior to an Orioles-Rays contest that Baltimore had won just three games in Tropicana Field from 2020-22. Fans and media members rallied around Brown, who returned to the booth weeks later.
Brown has done enough high quality play-by-play at the national and local levels to become the lead voice of a package.
Dave Flemming
Since 2022, Flemming has served as the play-by-play voice of the World Series for MLB International. During the regular season, Flemming calls San Francisco Giants games on radio alongside former ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Jon Miller.
Flemming has spent years calling lower-tier college football and basketball games for ESPN. With established veterans like Chris Fowler, Sean McDonough, Joe Tessitore and Dan Shulman ahead of him, it could be a while before he gets a prime spot at the network. A seat in NBC’s lead booth would give the talented and experienced announcer his most prominent gig.
Aaron Goldsmith
A veteran baseball, basketball and football announcer for Fox Sports, Goldsmith became lead TV voice of the Seattle Mariners in 2025, after Dave Sims left to become lead radio announcer for the Yankees.
Goldsmith’s energetic delivery has lifted many memorable Mariner moments, like outfielder Victor Robles’ recent diving catch against the Astros. Goldsmith has often been the fill-in for Joe Davis or Adam Amin, Fox’s lead and secondary MLB announcers. His viral calls could land him a lead gig at NBC.
Jon Sciambi
While ESPN made the right decision in 2023 by naming Sciambi its lead radio announcer for the World Series, it erred by not making Sciambi the television voice of “SNB.” Instead, ESPN gave the coveted TV chair to Karl Ravech, whose style is best suited for the studio, where he shined on programs like “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight.”
A self-proclaimed student of baseball play-by-play, Sciambi has drawn inspiration from greats like Vin Scully and Jon Miller and it shows. Of ESPN’s roster of full-time baseball broadcasters, Sciambi stands above the rest.
A change in scenery would allow the 55-year-old to finally become the face and voice of a network property.
Plus: Encouraging debut for new ESPN lead crew
ESPN’s new lead NBA crew of Mike Breen, Tim Legler and Richard Jefferson made their preseason debut last weekend. It was a solid performance, as the trio provided a pleasant soundtrack to Sunday night’s Lakers-Warriors broadcast.
Legler, unsurprisingly, was a bright spot. It is fascinating to consider the contrast between Legler and Lakers coach JJ Redick, who shared the lead ESPN booth with Breen and Doris Burke before accepting the Lakers job.
Both Redick and Legler are known for their ability to break down complex basketball concepts, as evidenced by Legler’s many appearances on Redick’s former podcast, The Old Man and the Three. The difference is in the presentation. As a broadcaster, Redick called games with an off-putting arrogance, making it difficult to build chemistry with Breen and Burke. Legler, however, unpretentiously delivers sharp, cogent, quick analysis.
In the first quarter, Warriors F Jimmy Butler scored a layup after a backdoor cut. Legler quickly noted during the replay that after the inbound pass, Butler cut because he knew the Lakers would overplay him to the corner. It’s a textbook case of an analyst providing quick, digestible insight for the viewer.
He also delivered strong opinions about the dynamic between Steph Curry and his younger brother and new teammate Seth. Legler asserted that Seth can flourish in Golden State’s offense because of his shooting ability, noting accurately that Seth led the NBA in three-point percentage a season ago. Jefferson followed it up with a quip about nepotism.
Legler’s years of studio work have sharpened his ability to hit various storylines — a key element of a preseason broadcast — while his basketball intelligence enables him to offer straightforward breakdowns of a play.
Going forward, the key will be chemistry. With Breen as the meat-and-potatoes point guard and Legler as the unassuming team player analyst, Jefferson becomes the wild card. Jefferson isn’t as strong at the X’s and O’s as Legler, but his conversational approach could work well if he doesn’t try too hard to inject levity.
