15. Kansas City Royals (Denny Matthews; also Steve Stewart, Jake Eisenberg, and Ryan Lefebvre on play-by-play): 2.22
Most common grade: C (40.3%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 78.0%
TV grade: 2.11 (21st, -0.11)
We’re back down to a most common grade of C, but the Royals’ booth placed higher than the Yankees’ team, partly due to fewer Fs (15 of 186) and a higher percentage of A/B/C grades. They also received 27 As.
The overriding theme in the comments was recognition of the 82-year-old Matthews’ work over the years (he’s been involved in Royals’ radio broadcasts since their 1969 founding, and has been the lead figure there since 1974, giving him the longest tenure with one team of any active broadcaster), but suggestions that his best days are behind him. Remarks there included “Denny is a legend, but he needs to retire…it is amazing to hear the lack of enthusiasm in his calls,” “Denny was the soundtrack of my youth in late 1970s and the 1980s along with the late Fred White, but it’s time for him to hang it up,” and “Denny was at one time excellent but he has really slipped badly. Should retire.” But one other listener said, “This is Denny’s booth and everyone else just visits there,” and another said, “Matthews is an evergreen.”
There was also a significant amount of praise for Stewart, Eisenberg, and Lefebvre (the Royals’ primary TV voice at the moment, but Matthews’ radio partner from 1999-2007). Some of that included “Steve and Jake do a fine job,” “It’s A if it’s Jake” (on a B grade), and “Jake Eisenberg is great in the Royals radio booth. He’s so descriptive and calls the game the game in an inviting way.” Stewart did take some criticism for his frequent usage of player nicknames, though, with “it is very annoying to out-of-town listeners, it is overly homerish.” But overall, there were plenty of remarks along the lines of “good group.”
14. Atlanta Braves (Ben Ingram, Joe Simpson): 2.36
Most common grade: C (37.6%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 82.2%
TV grade: 2.36 (13th, +0.0)
There was a remarkable overlap between the final grades for the Braves’ radio and TV broadcasts, but they achieved it in different ways. The TV broadcast (generally featuring Brandon Gaudin and C.J. Nitkowski) only received 11.7% A grades, but made it up to No. 13 thanks to a substantial percentage of A/B/C grades (83.8%). The radio broadcast received more As (34 of 202, 16.8%), but also more Fs (16, 7.9% versus 6.4%).
The comments here saw a lot of praise for Ingram. That included “the best in the game,” “has a phenomenal voice and does a great job painting the picture,” “outstanding: great voice, covers the basics, has sense of humor, and great in the big moments,” and “so detailed and informed.” Simpson also drew some plaudits, including “great,” “has improved immensely since moving from TV to radio and getting a better play-by-play guy to set him up,” and ” a little old-fashioned, but has much better chemistry with Ingram than he ever did with Chip Caray.” But there was some criticism for the booth as well, including “Too folksy for my liking.”
13. Toronto Blue Jays (Ben Shulman, Chris Leroux): 2.39
Most common grade: C (26.9%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 79.6%
TV grade: 3.03 (4th, +0.64)
While the Cs were most common for this group (54 of 186 votes), the Bs (50) and As (44) weren’t far behind; however, they received 27 Fs, which is relatively high considering their placement here.
A lot of the comments here revolved around Shulman, son of Jays’ TV play-by-play voice Dan Shulman. Some of those were quite laudatory, including “Shulman is a pro, Toronto is fortunate to have him” and “Shulman a chip off the talented block.” However, there was some criticism of the perceived nepotism in the shift from Ben Wagner to Shulman ahead of the 2024 season, including “Setting up Ben Wagner to fail only to kick him out for this nepobaby is revolting. Lost a lot of respect for Dan Shulman for pulling this crap.” And some others took a middle route with lines like “A nepo baby who got the gig too early, but has earned his way now with the right chops.”
Another frequent subject of discussion in these comments was the way the Jays don’t currently send their radio team on the road. That’s a longstanding one, and ties back to some past moves. In 2021, they cut their radio feed entirely and replaced it with a TV simulcast before bringing back radio late in the year, then had radio broadcaster Wagner not travel for the first part of 2022 and for all of 2023 (until the playoffs). The lack of road broadcasts has continued recently (and has shown up with other teams that Jays’ owner Rogers has ownership and broadcast stakes in, including the Toronto Maple Leafs), and that led to criticism in these comments, including “Not sending your team on the road = automatic F.” (That voter was indeed consistent, also providing a F for the Angels with the same comment.)
12. Los Angeles Dodgers (Charley Steiner, Rick Monday; also Tim Neverett and Stephen Nelson on play-by-play): 2.51
Most common grade: A (32.4%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 75.4%
TV grade: 2.45 (12th, -0.06)
We have our first group with the most common grade of A (88 of 272 votes, the fourth-highest A total in this vote), but they’re not higher up due to receiving 47 Fs. That was by far the highest F total in this poll, although it’s worth noting that this booth received many more votes than most. They also received 20 Ds, giving them a percentage of A/B/C votes that was well below some of the teams below them. But those who like them like them a lot.
The personnel here deserve some discussion. The plan at the start of the season was for veteran announcer Steiner, who had missed most of the previous season due to a battle with cancer and compound fractures in his back, to return to the main role, and that’s how the team’s listings have it. However, while Steiner made at least some appearances early in the year, he didn’t return regularly, leading to Nelson (listed as a substitute broadcaster on the TV side) and Neverett (listed as a substitute broadcaster on the radio side) receiving more work, as per the comments we received.
Monday received notable praise in these comments, including “great voice” and “has been doing it forever and is concise and observational.” Neverett drew both plaudits (“very good,” “does a good job of describing what’s going on and letting Monday comment,” “good and got the shaft in Boston”) and criticism, such as “talks too much” and “get rid of Neverett and it’s a solid B” (on a C grade). Nelson also drew negative and positive comments, from “a homer, but a knowledgeable homer” to “really good now that Stephen Nelson is the main radio voice” (on a B grade).
11. Seattle Mariners (Rick Rizzs, Gary Hill Jr.; also Hill on play-by-play and Ryan Rowland-Smith and Angie Mentink on analysis): 2.52
Most common grade: B (32.2%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 84.9%
TV grade: 2.35 (14th, -0.17)
This group has us back with B as the most common grade (62 of 192 responses), but they also drew a lot of Cs (60) and As (42). The high percentage of A/B/C grades helped elevate them over the Dodgers’ booth at No. 12.
Rizzs drew significant plaudits in these comments, including “Rizzs is remarkable! A treasure to hear him work,” “a pro’s pro and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame announcers wing,” and “Hall of Fame caliber.” Each of the other figures saw some compliments too, from Hill (“has the goods to be great”) to Mentink (“excellent analyst”) to Rowland-Smith (‘great insight and delivery”). But Mentink (“arrogant and abrasive…mocks the opponents”) and Hill (“talks a lot”) also had their detractors.
10. Milwaukee Brewers (Josh Maurer, Lane Grindle; also Jeff Levering on play-by-play): 2.56
Most common grade: B (33.5%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 87.1%
TV grade: 2.66 (8th, +0.10)
The Brewers’ booth had one of the highest percentages of A/B/C grades to date, which helped them secure a spot in the top 10. They received 41 As, 65 Bs, and 63 Cs from 194 votes, plus only 13 Fs.
These comments sparked a lot of discussion about Bob Uecker, who called the Brewers from 1971 (their second season in Milwaukee) through last season, before his passing in January. But the commentary on how the booth has gone without him was mixed. On the positive side, that included “Hard to replace the Uecker legend, but they hold their own,” “This booth misses Uecker a great deal, but still above average,” and “Replacing Bob Uecker was huge shoes to fill, but the coverage has been great.” On the negative side, there were lines such as “Competent, but the drop from Uecker in terms of personality and knowledge is sharp.”
Maurer, in particular, took some individual criticism. That included “rambles on way too much,” “radio team much better when Levering is lead guy,” and “Maurer stinks.” But one reader praised his work so far with “I can’t imagine a harder play-by-play job than following Bob Uecker. Josh isn’t great yet, but giving him an ‘A’ because he’s his own guy with his own style that’s perfect for Milwaukee.” There weren’t many comments on the other voices.
9. Chicago White Sox (Len Kasper, Darrin Jackson): 2.57
Most common grade: B (39.8%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 81.0%
TV grade: 1.82 (27th, -0.75)
This is one of the most significant discrepancies between radio and TV booths. While the Sox’s TV booth has been under a lot of criticism over the past two seasons, following the departure of Jason Benetti to the Detroit Tigers and the tabbing of John Schriffen to replace him, their radio booth seems to be still quite well-received. This group drew 53 As and 92 Bs from 231 votes, solidifying their place in the top 10.
Kasper received significant praise in these comments. That included “a great announcer,” “a real pro,” and “one of my favorites in 60 years of being a sports consumer.” For Jackson, there was more criticism, including “solid, but unexceptional,” “horrific, a really tough listen,” “talks too much of non-baseball situations,” and “he goes off on tangents and doesn’t get statistics.” But some praised their chemistry, with lines such as “easy listen.”
8. Detroit Tigers (Dan Dickerson, Bobby Scales; also Greg Gania on play-by-play and Dan Petry and Andy Dirks on analysis): 2.64
Most common grade: C (33.2%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 86.4%
TV grade: 2.74 (eighth, +0.10)
By contrast to the White Sox below them, the Tigers’ radio booth finished in the same place as their TV booth and received a somewhat similar grade. While they featured a most common C grade, they earned almost as many As (65 of 214 votes) as Cs (71). And their low number of Fs (14) helped them nab this spot.
The comments here were overwhelmingly positive about the leading duo of Dickerson and Scales. That included “Dickerson and Scales don’t get enough credit for their baseball expertise, chemistry, and overall excellence,” and “Baseball on the radio is at its best an almost meditative thing—like listening to the tides. The Tigers’ radio booth exemplifies that idea. Consistent, entertaining without being kitschy, pleasant.” There were also significant individual compliments for Dickerson, including “the anchor and the best in the business,” “a gem,” “has the best ‘big moment’ calls,” and “so good, smooth and expressive.”
When it came to the other broadcasters, there was considerable acclaim for Dirks and Petry. That included “Dirks has been a revelation as an entertaining and knowledgeable color guy, and Petry brings an aura of experience, especially talking about pitching,” “Dickerson and Petry are just so, so good together,” and “Petry and Dirks have been excellent finds for Detroit.” For Scales, the response was more mixed, with some saying he “talks a tad too much” and “brings the broadcast down,” while others praised his chemistry with Dickerson.
7. Boston Red Sox (Will Flemming, Will Middlebrooks; also Sean McDonough, Joe Castiglione, and Mike Monaco on play-by-play and Lou Merloni on analysis): 2.64
Most common grade: B (39.5%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 81.4%
TV grade: 2.47 (11th, -0.17)
While this group received the most common grade of B, with 87 of 220 votes falling in that category, they also earned 57 As and just 19 Fs. That’s fewer As and more Fs than the Tigers below them, but they beat out that booth thanks to getting more Bs and fewer Cs (just 35). They received a 2.641 to Detroit’s 2.636.
This is another booth with some transition this year, with Flemming (who had been there since 2019 and had been doing more and more games across the last couple years) earning more prominence, still following famed veteran Joe Castiglione’s retirement from a regular role (although he still popped in for some games) after the 2024 season. And Flemming seems to have made a positive impression on at least some listeners, leading to lines such as “It has taken a couple of years, but Flemming has grown on me. The booth is best when it’s Will and Will, as they play off each other so well” and “Will should be TV play-by-play.”
However, Flemming also received some criticism, including “awful, spends too much time umpiring,” “just way too fond of himself,” and “too negative and opinionated.” And several readers noted that they prefer McDonough’s calls, with comments like “excellent on his appearances and boosts the grade here” (on a B), “solid,” and “Earned a B from me only because Sean McDonough does 20 or so games each season. Otherwise, the grade would be C or below.” One other respondent (who provided a D grade) said they only enjoyed Castiglione’s rare appearances, commenting, “An A if Castiglione is on, otherwise terrible.”
There were some interesting overall remarks on this booth. Some found them too positive for the team, offering lines such as “They’re homers who call players by their first names.” But many said they liked this group overall, with comments such as “always enjoyable to listen to these guys” and “an excellent booth with more exciting talent coming down the line led by Cooper Boardman!”
6. Philadelphia Phillies (Scott Franzke, Larry Andersen; also Gregg Murphy on play-by-play and Kevin Stocker on analysis): 2.69
Most common grade: A (31.7%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 84.3%
TV grade: 2.99 (sixth, +0.30)
This group wound up in the same position as their TV counterparts, but with a lower numerical grade. They received a lot of As (73 out of 230) and only 15 Fs, but the TV side had an even higher percentage of As (37.7% versus 31.7%). Still, a lot of those voting on this booth really liked them.
The praise for this team was evident throughout the comments as well. Interestingly, some of that elevated them over the TV team, particularly when it came to Franzke. Lines along those lines included “Scott Franzke is so good, I wish he would be moved to TV. Tom McCarthy stinks,” “Phillies radio gets an A, TV gets an F,” “Turn off the overrated John Kruk and listen to the analysis of Larry Andersen, plus the funny stories. Franzke should be the TV play-by-play with Andersen,” and “Franzke and LA are a treasure. Franzke speaks like an actual human unlike his TV counterpart, whose only purpose is to kiss ownership’s ass.” Notable other plaudits for Franzke included “the best in the business” and ” a treasure that doesn’t get nearly enough national recognition.”
There were also a lot of compliments for the chemistry between Franzke and Andersen on the top pairing. Those included “Franzke and LA are outstanding. Their rapport is awesome,” “Franzke and LA have become the definitive duo for this era of Phillies baseball,” and “Franzke and LA are the best in the biz! The chemistry is unreplicable. Makes you want to turn the radio on and sync it up.” Beyond them, some had praise for Stocker (“he’s really grown into that analyst role,” “I’ve really come to enjoy Stock when he’s in there”), but others criticized him and Murphy, noting a significant drop-off from the lead duo.
Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
5. New York Mets (Howie Rose; also Keith Raad and Patrick McCarthy on play-by-play): 3.05
Most common grade: A (50.2%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 88.6%
TV grade: 3.32 (second, +0.27)
This is the first booth to receive a grade above 3.0, in the A range, mainly due to the massive percentage of As they received (132 of 263 votes). They also received 58 Bs and only 17 Fs. But the TV booth drew even a higher percentage of As (64.7% to 50.2%).
In the comments, Rose, in particular, saw many tributes. Some of those included “Howie Rose should be a national treasure. He fits the team like a glove,” ” one of the all-time greats on play-by-play,” “is in the upper echelon all-time of radio play-by-play guys for baseball,” ” the human conduit to their history and hopes,” “continues to be terrific,” “a living legend,” and ” the smoothest, most articulate announcer in the world.” One reader even noted, “I hate the Mets, but Rose is the best play-by-play man out there. Period.”
Raad also saw some specific praise, including “excellent” and ” a rising star” who “will be # 1 as soon as Mets win or Howie tires of the grind.” And one listener called Raad and McCarthy both “rising stars,” while another noted that “the two young guys are really doing well.” But there was also some criticism for the non-Rose figures here. That included “Keith Raad is awful. Howie has not had a good partner in a decade,” “Howie Rose is still a legend. The other guys are not, and no one seems to stay long enough to become a familiar voice. So it’s A for Howie, B for the other guys, and D for the Mets and Audacy not having any stability here” (on a B grade), ” Both need to gain more experience on play-by-play on the radio to get better,” and “McCarthy is waiting to go back to Philly soooo bad!”
Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
4. Cleveland Guardians (Tom Hamilton, Jim Rosenhaus): 3.14
Most common grade: A (55.9%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 90.6%
TV grade: 2.16 (20th, -0.98)
This is one of the more dramatic discrepancies between a TV and a radio grade. The Guardians’ radio booth drew 143 As on 256 votes, 55.9%, while the TV booth only drew 8.9% As. Low numbers of Ds (10) and Fs (14) were also crucial for this radio group winding up at No. 4.
A lot of the comments here were in praise for Hamilton, the 2025 recipient of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award and a broadcaster for this franchise since 1990. He was initially paired with the legendary Herb Score, then became the main play-by-play voice in 1998. Some of the laurels for him included “the best in the business,” “needs to be a grade higher than A for Hammy,” “a national treasure,” “on the Mount Rushmore of radio sports,” and “HOFer and GOAT.”
Hamilton drew specific praise for his fair approach, including “has crazy energy for not only the Guardians but the other team as well.” A couple of fans of other teams commented on how much they liked him, with one saying, “I’m a Yankee fan but Tom Ham is the best announcer in baseball,” and another adding, “After hearing a few Tigers-Guardians road games from Hamilton, I understand why he is a Hall of Famer.” But, proving that nothing is ever unanimous, one respondent called him “Homer Hamilton” and described him as “the worst announcer in MLB,” and another had him as “probably the most overrated broadcaster in baseball. Gas bag.”
Still, the overwhelming sentiment in the comments was in favor of this booth, and especially Hamilton. A particularly entertaining recurring line of commentary was about what else respondents would listen to Hamilton describing. That included “Tom Hamilton can make a ham sandwich enthralling” and “I’d listen to Hamilton read me the phone book.” Thus, if Hamilton does ever get tired of baseball, it sounds like there could be some other narration opportunities for him.
Credit: Marquee Network
3. Chicago Cubs (Pat Hughes, Ron Coomer; also Zach Zaidman on play-by-play): 3.15
Most common grade: A (54.3%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 90.4%
TV grade: 3.01 (fifth, -0.14)
It was pretty close between the Cubs and Guardians for third, with the Chicago booth taking that bronze podium position due to a 3.150 versus a 3.137. The Cubs’ team drew a slightly lower percentage of As and of A/B/C grades, but made up the difference in Bs (63 of 293, 21.5%, versus 43 of 256, 16.8%).
Hughes received the higher praise of people separating these two. That included “Pat Hughes is a HOFer for a reason,” “Pat Hughes is the best,” “Pat Hughes is the GOAT,” and “Hughes is fabulous. Coomer is average, at best” (on a B grade). However, many people liked the combination. Some of those remarks included “the best in baseball,” “Pat and Ron are as good as it gets,” “Pat Hughes is an absolute legend, Ron Coomer is a fantastic color guy with local roots,” “[Hughes] and Ron have great chemistry and he plays a great straight man with his dry sense of humor,” and “I wish these two had a show in the off-season. So much fun to listen to. Pat sets up Ron well. Pure passion for the job and Cubs comes through.” Coomer also drew some individual plaudits, including “Ron has a likeable everyman quality that belies his deep knowledge of the game.”
There was some criticism for this broadcast, though. That included several complaints about the number of sponsored elements and commercials. Some of those included “It’s become a two-and-a-half-hour infomercial for toilet valves, the Village of Bedford Park (which I’m not even sure is a real place), and adult diapers. Pat and Ron are forced to be corporate shills, interspersing every moment of game action with a sponsorship. “The game only exists to read multiple promotions, even if the promo being read and the game action do not correlate.”
Others criticized the main booth for “chuckling and cackling.” And one reader said, “They are Midwest homers at the best, just silly other times.” Some blasted fill-in voice Zaidman, with lines like “I certainly hope the plan post-Pat is not Zach Zaidman” and “The only bad thing I can say is that Zach Zaidman’s time should be done in the Chicago Cubs’ radio booth.”
Credit: 93.7 The Fan
2. San Diego Padres (Jesse Agler, Tony Gwynn Jr.; also Bob Scanlan on play-by-play and analysis): 3.37
Most common grade: A (63.0%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 95.0%
TV grade: 3.48 (first, +0.11)
It really is the year of the Padres in these rankings, as that team took first in our local TV announcers’ poll and their radio crew wound up second. This radio booth received the highest percentage of A/B/C votes in our poll, and had the lowest number of Fs (six out of 341, 1.8%). And they were only four behind the lead team on As (215 versus 219). However, that came with a significantly larger margin (341 versus 312 votes).
These comments saw a lot of praise for Agler. That included “the best up-and-coming voice in baseball,” “best in class,” “a treasure,” “a superstar,” “brings just the right amount of nerdiness mixed with charisma,” “as prepared and knowledgeable as they come, and he’s excellent at weaving stories and tidbits through calling a game,” and “as good as anyone doing play-by-play—any sport, any level, any medium.”
For Gwynn, some of the remarks there included “brings the charm and the baseball IQ,” “really solid,” “a lot of fun,” “I love Tony,” and “Jesse & Tony are great – perfect chemistry. Tony Jr. sounding like his dad is a nostalgic moment in and of itself!” And many loved his pairing with Agler, with remarks like “Agler and Gwynn absolutely elite. Mix of old school and new school. Analysis and history. Funny and loose and conversational. Such an enjoyable listen,” “such a great duo,” and “Great dynamic between Jesse and Tony! Like listening to your buddies who really get the game.”
Gwynn did see some criticism, including “Gwynn Jr. is beloved here like Dad, but stumbles at times. He also has a propensity to repeat what Agler has just said,” and “his commentary is often to just tell me what already happened.” And some valued Scanlan’s fill-in analysis stints above Gwynn’s. Scanlan took some of his own criticism, though, including “holier than thou and talks down to the audience.” However, overall, this group earned many laurels, at least matching the high numerical grade they received.
Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
1. San Francisco Giants (Jon Miller and Dave Flemming on both play-by-play and analysis; also Duane Kuiper and Joe Ritzo on play-by-play and Mike Krukow and F.P. Santangelo on analysis): 3.49
Most common grade: A (70.2%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 94.2%
TV grade: 3.20 (third, -0.29)
We have our champion for this year, and it wasn’t particularly close. The percentage of As (219 of 312 votes, 70.2%) for this booth was incredibly high, and a big jump over their TV side (54.4%). That’s interesting, considering the heavy overlap between radio and TV for this team, with Miller and Flemming often working the TV side and Kuiper and Krukow sometimes transitioning to radio from TV. This booth drew 14 Fs, but that wasn’t enough to knock them out of first.
The comments here garnered significant praise for the whole group, despite the numerous moving parts. That included “No matter who it is when you tune in, it’s always one of the best booths in sports,” “If the Mets don’t have the best combined broadcast crews in the sport, it’s the Giants. Remarkable consistency and class on both ends on a nightly basis with this team,” and “The best announcing group there is in baseball.”
However, some drew more distinctions. Comments along those lines included “Miller and Flemming are both outstanding on both radio and TV. Kuiper better suited to TV only,” “Without Miller, a solid B. With Miller, an F” (on an F grade), “Jon and Dave are arguably the best. When they are not on, it drops to a C” (on an A grade), and “Kuiper and Krukow get an A. The rest of the crew needs a reset.” There were also suggestions that this booth could use less rotation, including “Same problem that Boston has, too many voices.”
The primary duo of Miller and Flemming drew considerable praise, including “as good as anyone,” “Miller the best, one of the best of all time,” and “Elite crew, Flemming and Miller are fantastic.” And there were also plenty of plaudits for Kuiper and Krukow in their radio appearances. Even many who offered high overall grades criticized Santangelo and Ritzo, though, with lines there including “Joe Ritzo and F.P. Santangelo are not as good as the other Giants’ broadcasters” (on a B grade), “Joe and FP are really bad and make it sound like minor league ball!” (on an A grade, with praise of the other announcers), and “The Big 4 are A+, but they miss too many games, sticking us with Ritzo and Santangelo” (on a B grade).
All in all, however, these comments aligned mainly with the numerical grade. Further praise this booth received included “Since Vin, without a doubt the best booth,” “The best all-around broadcast team in baseball,” “far and away the best radio broadcast in baseball,” and “The best in baseball, for YEARS!” And they take home the title as Awful Announcing readers’ top-voted radio booth for 2025.
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