ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball will be getting a new play-by-play voice next season.
Matt Vasgersian told Andrew Marchand of the New York Post he will not be returning to his role as the play-by-play voice alongside Alex Rodriguez on ESPN next season.
The 54-year-old announcer, who also does work for MLB Network and became the lead play-by-play voice for the Los Angeles Angels this season, explained to Marchand that he is leaving because he “can’t do everything I enjoy with MLB Network and the Angels, while still being away for nearly 30 weekends a year.”
Vasgersian has been the play-by-play voice for Sunday Night Baseball since 2018 when he was chosen to be paired with Rodriguez, mostly due to the fact that he was A-Rod’s preferred choice to work with in the booth and were believed to be a package deal.
Marchand also reported on Wednesday that ESPN is expected to bring A-Rod back, despite his shortcomings as a color commentator.
Should A-Rod return as expected, it would make sense that he would have significant say in who would be the next play-by-play voice.
Marchand listed Boog Sciambi, Karl Ravech, Jason Benetti, Ryan Ruocco, Dave Flemming and Michael Kay as possibilities. Sciambi, Ravech and Flemming were all candidates in 2018 before Vasgersian was hired.
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All of the above have worked for ESPN, although Kay has not done TV work for the network (his radio show is on ESPN's airwaves).
Sciambi, recognized as one of the best play-by-play voices in the game, became the lead play-by-play announcer for the Cubs last season. He has filled in for Vasgersian on Sunday Night Baseball in the past, giving him at least some experience with A-Rod.
Ravech has been a staple of ESPN’s baseball coverage for years and has called many of the network’s weekday games. He would seemingly be a natural fit for the role.
Benetti, who is the play-by-play voice for the White Sox, has called an array of sports, including baseball, for ESPN since 2011 and was the play-by-play commentator for ESPN’s MLB Statcast AI coverage of the Wild Card and Home Run Derby.
Ruocco is one of ESPN’s NBA and WNBA play-by-play voices and he has filled in for Michael Kay over the last few years on the YES Network. He also hosts the “R2C2” podcast along with former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia.
Kay has been the voice of the Yankees for the last few decades and was also reportedly considered to be paired with A-Rod in 2018. If Kay is seriously considered, it will be interesting to see how it impacts his role with the YES Network and fit that would have any affect on his interest.
Flemming, the radio voice of the San Francisco Giants, has called MLB games on ESPN since 2014, including MLB playoff games on ESPN Radio.
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