Unveiling Ideal Broadcast Teams, Prime Times, and Cutting-Edge Tech: A Comprehensive Guide

The 2023 Major League Baseball postseason begins on Tuesday, with ESPN providing exclusive coverage. This year, the Worldwide Leader will air four consecutive games and feature a best-of-three series, maximizing its benefits.

The games will be exclusively broadcasted on various Walt Disney
DIS
networks, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. ESPN Radio will also broadcast the games nationally. Joining the broadcast team for 2023 are Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, and Tim Kurkjian, with Coley Harvey reporting for the Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays series.

ESPN’s coverage will begin and end each day with Baseball Tonight, hosted by Kevin Connors, Nicole Briscoe, Xavier Scruggs, and Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan. The show will air on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET, 4 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.

According to Phil Orlins, the vice president of production at ESPN for MLB broadcasts, all series except the Blue Jays-Twins matchup will feature the “umpire cam” for an immersive viewing experience.

ESPN obtained the Wild Card Series rights after it transitioned from a one-game play-in to a best-of-three format when the league and MLB Players Association agreed to include two additional teams in the wild card races – one in the American League and one in the National League. This decision has proven beneficial for the network.

Orlins emphasizes the importance of the immediacy of the first playoff games following the regular season. Additionally, he believes that the shorter series, compared to the traditional five-game series, increases fan engagement.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that whether it was the old wild card model with a single game or the current wild card with the four best-of-three series, it brings a significant amount of urgency to it for fans,” said Orlins. “It is four games in a day, played on consecutive days. So it’s got an energy to that.”

Broadcast Assignments

Television Assignments:

• Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, and David Cone will cover the Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies series, with Buster Olney reporting.
• Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez will be on the call for the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins series, with Alden Gonzalez reporting.
• Jon Sciambi and Doug Glanville will provide commentary for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers series, with Jesse Rogers reporting.
• Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, and Tim Kurkjian will join forces for the Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays series, with Coley Harvey reporting.

Radio Assignments:

• Mike Couzens and Chris Burke will handle the Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies series.
• Dave O’Brien and Kyle Peterson will guide listeners through the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins series.
• Roxy Bernstein and Gregg Olson will provide radio commentary for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers series.
• Mike Monaco and Todd Frazier will call the Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays series.

Deportes Assignments:

• Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Alvarez, and Guillermo Celis will cover the Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies series.
• Marcelo Canto and Eitan Benezra will handle the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins series.
• Carolina Guillen, Orlando Hernandez, and Enrique Rojas will provide commentary for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers series.
• Jorge Eduardo Sánchez and Ismael Valdez will call the Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays series.