NBC Sports Philadelphia explains why Taryn Hatcher won’t be back for Phillies’ coverage

Taryn Hatcher’s departure from NBC Sports Philadelphia came as a surprise to Phillies fans last week. Now the network is explaining what happened and why the in-stadium reporter position no longer exists.

Alexandra Matcham, NBCSP’s vice president of content, told the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Jeff Blumenthal that the decision comes down to evolving the network’s baseball broadcast approach.

“As the game of baseball evolves and changes, so too does our coverage,” Matcham said. “In order to give fans who are not at the stadium the most entertaining and informative broadcast we can deliver, we want to add to our storytelling in new ways. This season, we believe we can do that by bringing a different approach to our coverage.”

The news broke last week when NBC Sports Philadelphia released its spring training coverage plans, and Hatcher’s name was nowhere to be found. The network chose not to renew her contract after it expired following the 2025 season and eliminated the position completely, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Rob Tornoe.

“Cats out of the bag, so I’ll keep this short and sweet as possible,” Hatcher wrote on X. “Sadly I won’t be returning on Phillies coverage this season. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, I was told that my role on the sidelines at NBCSP was being eliminated moving forward. While the news was pretty heartbreaking, I have to acknowledge that it was a really fun run. I loved every second of it. I’m grateful for everyone who tuned in over the years, and for the wonderful people I’ve met along the way.”

hi everybody pic.twitter.com/YWSlMZEyRz

— Taryn Hatcher (@TarynNHatcher) February 21, 2026

Hatcher joined NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2018 and covered the Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Eagles before focusing primarily on Phillies broadcasts in recent seasons. She worked home games alongside Tom McCarthy and John Kruk, handling in-stadium reporting duties and player interviews.

The network doesn’t have anyone filling Hatcher’s role and doesn’t appear to be hiring a replacement. NBC Sports Philadelphia has moved away from using sideline and field reporters across all of its coverage in recent years. Matcham did tell Blumenthal that color analyst Ben Davis will continue calling “key games” from the dugout, an arrangement that began last season when the network started experimenting with having Davis work some broadcasts from field level. This season’s booth will feature McCarthy on play-by-play with Davis, Kruk, and Ruben Amaro Jr. rotating as analysts. Cole Hamels will also work games on a part-time basis.

Crossing Broad’s Kevin Kinkead reported last week that NBC Sports Philadelphia and Hatcher discussed bringing her back on a freelance basis that would have allowed her to pursue other work opportunities at the same time. Those conversations didn’t lead to an agreement. Kinkead mentioned that his sources characterized the situation as standard contract negotiations rather than anything contentious, though two people mentioned that network executives wanted to see more commitment from Hatcher, specifically to the Phillies job. There wasn’t bad blood between the sides, just talks that ultimately went nowhere.

The decision to eliminate Hatcher’s position aligns with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broader direction in recent years. The network eliminated sideline reporters across all its teams. Kinkead reported in August 2020 that NBC Sports Regional Networks planned to eliminate in-game reporters after the basketball and hockey seasons wrapped up. He wrote at the time that Serena Winters and Taryn Hatcher would finish their work before transitioning to new roles or new jobs. Hatcher ended up staying through the conclusion of last season.

Hatcher wasn’t the only familiar voice missing from NBC Sports Philadelphia’s spring training coverage plans. McCarthy said on X that Mike Schmidt won’t be part of broadcasts this year. Schmidt, 76, has made occasional appearances on weekend home games since 2014 but only worked four broadcasts last season. “Mike will be around but not o[n] the air,” McCarthy wrote when asked about Schmidt’s status.

Whether NBC Sports Philadelphia’s “different approach” amounts to anything beyond cutting a position remains unclear. The network has no immediate plans to bring in anyone for Hatcher’s role, though Kinkead indicated that if they decide to hire someone down the line, it would likely be only for home games and playoff coverage. For now, viewers will see McCarthy in the booth with rotating analysts and nobody reporting from field level.