Hunter Pence is heading to ESPN for the postseason.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the former Giants outfielder will provide analysis during this year’s Wild Card round, appearing on Baseball Tonight studio shows that bookend each playoff game. Pence joins a panel that includes Jeff Passan, Xavier Scruggs, and Kevin Connors.
This represents Pence’s most prominent national television role since hanging up his cleats in 2020. He currently calls select Giants road games for NBC Sports Bay Area, now in his fourth year rotating through a broadcast team widely considered among the sport’s elite.
The San Francisco television crew earned third place in recent fan polling conducted by Awful Announcing, continuing their tradition as viewer favorites. Pence shares duties with veteran announcers, including Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, Dave Flemming, and Jon Miller.
Since retirement, Pence has accumulated experience across different networks, including stints with MLB Network and Apple TV+. His newly minted ESPN role comes as baseball broadcasting rights are being reshuffled across networks..
Beginning in 2026, NBC assumes control of the Sunday evening games ESPN has televised since 1990, along with playoff coverage through the Wild Card stage. Netflix, meanwhile, has landed marquee events, including the annual Home Run Derby and Opening Day contests. ESPN retains weeknight games nationally and gains control of MLB.tv’s out-of-market streaming platform.
Pence won two championships with San Francisco in 2012 and 2014 during a 14-season career that included four All-Star selections. In addition to the Giants, he also suited up for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Texas Rangers before retiring.
Wild Card action starts next week exclusively on ESPN, with Fox and TBS handling later playoff rounds.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.