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In the entire sports world, baseball announcers may have the toughest job out of anyone. The games are long, and only seem to be getting longer every year. Yet, play-by-play commentators have to find a way to fill all of that time and keep the audience engaged. Of course, the best MLB commentators always manage to keep the game exciting and keep fans interested.
But who are the best baseball announcers and commentators and what makes them so special?
Baseball commentators
Part of the beauty of modern baseball is that every team has its own set of announcers that broadcast games in local markets. Then you have ESPN, Fox, and TBS MLB announcers that do nationally-televised games.
That gives us plenty of options when trying to pick out the best MLB commentators. On the other hand, having over 30 sets of baseball announcers makes it tough to pick out the best of the best. With all of that in mind, here is our list of the best baseball announcers in the majors.
10. Dave O’Brien and Dennis Eckersley (Red Sox)
As a Massachusetts native, O’Brien can be a little bit of a homer sometimes. Of course, most Red Sox fans can appreciate that. He also has a world of experience doing the play-by-play of other sports, so he’s a professional and is rarely caught off guard.
At the same time, Dennis Eckersley brings a lot to the table as well. Not only does he understand the game but his passion for baseball is obvious and easily rubs off on the audience during games.
9. Dan Shulman, Buck Martinez, and Pat Tabler (Blue Jays)
Buck Martinez might be one of the more underrated baseball announcers. For more than half of the season, he does the play-by-play with Pat Tabler handling the color commentary.
But then Shulman will show up and Martinez will transition to being the analyst. Regardless of the combination, the three do a great job together. Shulman is outstanding in any sport and Martinez is as sharp as they get as a former manager. Plus, Tabler brings a lot to the table after a decade-long career in the big leagues as a player.
8. Don Orsillo and Mark Grant (Padres)
The fact that the Padres were so bad for so long hid the fact that they have some of the best MLB commentators. After plenty of good years in Boston, Orsillo had the distinct honor of replacing the legendary Dick Enberg as the play-by-play guy for the Padres.
Orsillo is slowly but surely becoming as beloved in San Diego as the fictional Ron Burgundy. Meanwhile, Mark Grant brings a lot to the broadcast as well.
As a former big-league pitcher, he has excellent insight and knows what he’s talking about. At the same time, as his nickname Mud suggests, he’s also light and funny, creating a good balance between the silly and the serious during every game.
7. Greg Brown and Joe Block (Pirates)
There’s a rather interesting setup in Pittsburgh, as Greg Brown and Joe Block share the play-by-play duties alongside a rotating group of color analysts.
However, both are seasoned professionals who have been around the block and know their way around a microphone. It’s not always an easy job because the Pirates aren’t always competitive. Yet, both Brown and Block find a way to keep things interesting.
6. Jason Benetti and Steve Stone (White Sox)
Benetti has one of the more incredible stories in broadcasting, as he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was a toddler but overcame that obstacle to become one of the best broadcasters in the business. In fact, you’ve probably heard him broadcasting other sports, including college basketball.
The guy also has a law degree, so he’s incredibly smart and well-spoken, not to mention enthusiastic when it comes to baseball, which isn’t always easy over a long season.
After all, the White Sox wouldn’t pick just anyone to replace the legendary Ken “Hawk Harrelson.” Plus, he and Steve Stone work well together, as their passion for the game is infectious and always appreciated by audiences.
5. Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser (Dodgers)
Joe Davis has had the impossible task of replacing the legendary Vin Scully in the Dodgers’ broadcast booth. Keep in mind that Scully is literally three times his age.
There’s nothing much to say other than that the guy is a prodigy as far as baseball commentators are concerned. He doesn’t try to do too much or try to recreate what Scully did for decades. Instead, he lets the game speak for itself and gives plenty of time to Orel Hershiser, who’s outstanding as an analyst, and the other color commentators during broadcasts.
4. Glen Kuiper and Ray Fosse (Athletics)
Sadly, Ray Fosse passed away in October 2021. But before he passed away, he and Kuiper were among the best baseball announcers in the business. The chemistry between the two was always there, developed from years of working together.
Together, they were smart and straightforward without ever being boring.
As a play-by-play broadcaster, Kuiper is about as good as they get. He has well-established trademark phrases that aren’t obnoxious or corny. More importantly, it’s easy to tell that he has great enthusiasm for the game, even after all of these years of watching 162 games per season.
3. Todd Kalas and Geoff Blum (Astros)
Kalas unquestionably has the pedigree of one of the best baseball announcers. He’s the son of the legendary Harry Kalas and attended Syracuse University, which produces top-notch broadcasters better than any school in the country.
The younger Kalas has one of the great voices in baseball and knows how to use it. He’s serious when he needs to be but also knows when to stay loose. Geoff Blum also does a fine job and brings an interesting perspective to the table as a journeyman who played for eight teams in a 14-year career in the majors.
Read more: Best NFL commentary teams
2. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow (Giants)
Between their radio and TV people, the Giants have an embarrassment of riches in the broadcast booth. While Jon Miller is a living legend on the radio, it’s Duane Kuiper who handles the play-by-play on TV and is the embodiment of a professional.
He and Mike Krukow have been together for many years and developed an incredible give and take.
There are a few other former players who sub in occasionally, but the tandem of Kuiper and Krukow typically makes every Giants game a little more enjoyable for fans. They always seem to find a way to have fun and enjoy themselves without getting too silly, and that tends to rub off on fans and make games more enjoyable for them.
1. Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez (Mets)
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and preferences, but the Mets objectively have the best baseball broadcast team in the majors.
Gary Cohen is a lifelong Mets fan and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the team’s history, yet his play-by-play is as objective as you could ever hope for someone in his position. Ron Darling, meanwhile, is an intelligent color analyst who also does national broadcasts.
However, he’s far better during Mets games when he’s paired with Keith Hernandez. The former teammates break down baseball together just like they would if both were still sitting in the dugout.
Hernandez, despite some occasional antics, is as smart as they get when it comes to baseball commentators. There is a sect of Mets fans that sit through games long after the team has been mathematically eliminated just to listen to Gary, Keith, and Ron; they are that good.
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