Every time Keith Hernandez re-ups with SNY, it’s for three years.
The beloved New York Mets analyst is heading into his 20th season with SportsNet New York, with his current deal set to expire after the 2025 campaign. While he has no plans to step away just yet, Hernandez is looking to scale back his workload — taking a page from the late, great Ralph Kiner’s approach in his later years.
Hernandez shared that he hopes to sign another three-year deal during an appearance on The Show podcast with the New York Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. That extension would take him through age 75 while allowing him to ease into a more selective schedule, particularly as SNY expands Daniel Murphy’s role in the broadcast booth.
Keith Hernandez joined “The Show” to talk expectations for these Mets, pressure of “having” to win, Soto, his booth’s dynamics, more. Jon and I play prediction Bingo (no, really).
YouTube: trib.al/9f7bMdB
Apple: trib.al/Z55rKoY
Spotify: trib.al/KB9VirM— Joel Sherman (@joelsherman.bsky.social) March 24, 2025 at 2:47 PM
“If I sign another three-year deal — which I would like very much — when the season’s over, it would take me to 75,” said Hernandez. “Then, I hope I can pull a Ralph Kiner and just gradually pull back on games — still be involved in the games, and as I get older, I’m doing less games, but still be involved. And just incrementally do less and less. And enjoy more of the summer.
“If you really look at it, baseball has been my life. I started out [when I was] five years old, six years old when my dad started throwing the ball with us. It’s been my life. But, you get older now and I haven’t lost the love for the game. And I do want another three-year deal. And then 75, I’ll do some serious thinking.”
Hernandez may have some serious thinking to do, but Mets fans don’t. The broadcast is appointment television when he’s in the booth with Ron Darling and Gary Cohen. As Sherman put it, SNY’s trio is one of the true soundtracks of summer, and Awful Announcing readers agree, ranking them as the best booth in baseball in last year’s local announcer rankings.
And for good reason.
“Well, No. 1, I think the critical thing of Gary,” Hernandez said of the booth’s critically acclaimed success. “No. 2 is you got a pitcher in Ron Darling and you got a hitter in me. You’re getting two [points of view]. I can’t talk pitching mechanics. I can talk attacking pitches, and Ronnie can talk attacking hitters. And it’s a good blend there. And then, of course, I just feel we’ve got the best play-by-play guy in the game. Whether the broadcast is the best in baseball, who knows? But Gary, to me, is the best play-by-play guy. He’s so engaged. He makes Ron and I better, and Ron will admit to that, too. We’ve talked about it.
“[Gary] get’s better when the games are bad. When all those bad seasons with the Mets, that’s his strength. He’s so professional, comes prepared every game, and he engages us. I always say he’s like the maestro. He’s the Leonard Bernstein of the orchestra, and Ronnie and I are just one section of the orchestra. He brings us in and our knowledge of the game and really orchestrates the broadcast.”
That, to Hernandez, is the “critical factor” in the success of the broadcast.
Plus, a little bit of humor never hurt anyone.
“I’m the comedic relief, and I play that up,” Hernandez adds.
Hernandez may be thinking about the future, but Mets fans hope he sticks around as long as possible. His presence in the SNY booth has become as much a part of the franchise as the blue and orange, and he knows exactly why the chemistry works.
And if he has his way, he’ll be doing it for at least three more years.
