Kelly Crull and Ronald Acuna Jr May 7, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) does an interview with interpreter Franco Garcia and reporter Kelly Crull after a victory against the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Another change is coming to Atlanta Braves broadcasts in 2024, with reporter Kelly Crull not returning to coverage on Bally Sports South.

On Thursday, Bally Sports South announced its Braves coverage plans for the 2024 season, and Crull’s name was noticeably absent from the list of reporters.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Crull’s contract expired and wasn’t renewed.

Crull, who previously reported on the San Diego Padres for Fox Sports San Diego and the Chicago Cubs for NBC Sports Chicago, joined the Braves in 2020 after popular reporter Kelsey Wingert’s contract wasn’t renewed. Wingert, now going by the name Kelsey Wingert-Linch, eventually landed a reporting job with the Colorado Rockies on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.

Crull will be replaced on Braves broadcasts by a trio of reporters who all work under the Bally Sports South umbrella. Georgia Tech baseball voice Wiley Ballard, who hosted segments on shoulder programming last season, joins the game broadcast team along with Hanna Yates, who covers the Hurricanes for Bally Sports South, and Ashley ShahAhmadi, who covers the Hornets and worked on several Braves broadcasts a year ago.

This is the second major change for Braves broadcasts going into 2024. In December, C.J. Nitkowski was announced as the team’s new full-time game analyst, with Jeff Francoeur taking a step back. Francoeur and Tom Glavine will both return with reduced roles in 2024. Last year, Brandon Gaudin (who returns for his second season in 2024) was announced as the team’s new play-by-play announcer, replacing Chip Caray (who took the Cardinals job).

Switching reporters is nothing new for any team or regional sports network, but there really has been a lot of flux in the Braves booth in recent years. In 2018, when the team’s ongoing run of six straight NL East titles began, Caray, Joe Simpson, and Wingert were the primary broadcast team on what was then Fox Sports South.

Simpson was shifted to radio in favor of Francoeur in 2019, and Wingert left after that season. After three years working together, the Caray/Francoeur/Crull team was broken up when Caray left prior to the 2023 season, and now Crull is gone and Francoeur has taken on a reduced role.

It really has been a long time since Skip Caray, Simpson, Don Sutton, and Pete Van Wieren were fixtures on Braves broadcasts year in and year out.

[Bally Sports South, AJC]

About Joe Lucia

I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.