Awful Announcing’s 2025 MLB local radio booth rankings

How are the local radio booths stacking up during this 2025 MLB season? We asked Awful Announcing readers to evaluate the local English-language radio broadcasts of each of the 30 teams. The results were these announcer rankings, based on more than 6,400 individual votes.

As with our local WNBA announcer rankings, local MLB announcer rankings, local NHL announcer rankings, local NBA announcer rankings, men’s college basketball announcer rankings (regular season and March Madness), NFL announcer rankings, college football announcer rankings, and more, each booth was graded from A to F. That came with readers providing comments on individual teams as well.

We then converted the letter grades from those responses to numerical grades, with A corresponding to 4 and F corresponding to 0, and ranked the booths accordingly. For local MLB radio booths, this is the first time we’ve done these rankings.

The average grade across the 30 teams this time was 2.39, corresponding to a C. This is almost exactly what we saw for local MLB TV announcers, with the average grade actually 2.3864 and that one 2.3878 (to four decimal places), so 0.0014 (or 0.06%) higher. However, there were notable variations between the radio and TV grades for many teams. With each listing below, we’ve included the TV grade for comparison.

Overall, this average grade is near the lower end of the non-MLB rankings we’ve conducted recently. It’s above the 2.31 for local NBA announcers and 2.32 for local WNBA announcers, but below the 2.43 for NFL announcers, 2.45 for CFB announcers, 2.61 for local NHL announcers, and 2.89 for men’s NCAA Tournament announcers.

Each entry lists the team with its primary play-by-play voice, followed by its primary analyst or analysts, and then notable substitute announcers, listed under “also” where applicable.  The radio side does see more people switching back and forth between play-by-play and analysis, so we tried to indicate that as well when possible.

Without further ado, let’s get to the grades and selected reader comments (sometimes lightly edited for spelling and grammar).

30. Miami Marlins (Jack McMullin, AJ Ramos; also Craig Minervini on play-by-play and Rod Allen, Jeff Nelson, and Gaby Sánchez on analysis): 1.66

Most common grade: C (44.2% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 61.8%
TV grade: 1.79 (28th, +0.13)

The 165 votes this booth received were the lowest in this poll, indicating that few people chose to weigh in on it. Of those who did, there were just seven A grades, 29 Fs, and 73 Cs. The Marlins’ TV booth (mostly Kyle Sielaff and Tommy Hutton, but with everyone from this broadcast apart from McMullin and Ramos also involved there as well) received similar numbers of As, Cs, and Fs, 28, 405, and 74, respectively, out of 867, so there’s some overlap in how it was seen.

In the comments, there was some specific discussion of McMullin. That included “Jack McMullin is easily the rookie of the year for announcers on TV or radio this year” and “Jack has an interesting style…I’m not sure if I like it or not yet. It’s different.” Other notes seen were a “Too many cooks” (on a C grade), a “Whole lot of rootin’ going on” (on a D grade), and a “Grade was based on Rod Allen, who primarily does TV: he’s brutal” (on a D grade). There weren’t many comments on this booth overall.

29. Colorado Rockies (Jack Corrigan, also Jerry Schemmel on play-by-play): 1.80

Most common grade: C (40.3% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 64.6%
TV grade: 1.72 (29th, -0.08)

While this booth received only 11 As (out of 181 votes), that was higher than several of the teams above it. However, their 28 Fs were the third-highest in the poll. The Rockies’ TV booth (primarily Drew Goodman and Jeff Huson, with Corrigan and Schemmel also sometimes providing play-by-play there as well) earned a slightly lower grade, but received a lower proportion of Fs (14.0% to 15.5%).

The comments here were actually much more favorable than the grades. And several of those noted Colorado’s overall struggles and the challenges those present for broadcasters. Lines there included “A really strong broadcast, even with the team as bad as the Rockies are. Sneaky great listen,” “They really try to make it better, poor guys,” and “Do an excellent job of putting lipstick on a pig, i.e. the Rockies. These two are not ‘homers’ seemingly discussing the other team’s strengths; save the dude behind the plate, the Rox have no strengths.” There were individual remarks, too, including “Corrigan is always good” and “Schemmel is great, A+, I’d give Corrigan a C” (on a B grade). But there were also some commenters who disliked this booth, including one who said, “I have lived in 4 MLB areas. This is by far the worst announcing. TV no better!”

28. Arizona Diamondbacks (Chris Garagiola, Tom Candiotti): 1.92

Most common grade: C (47.5% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 75.4%
TV grade: 2.19 (17th, +0.27)

This booth received just seven As (out of 179 votes), tied with the Marlins for the fewest A grades, but placed higher due to a decent number of Bs (43, compared to the Marlins’ 22 on 165 votes).

Commentary here included some significant criticism for Candiotti, such as “Unprepared and provides absolutely zero insight. He’s the undefeated king of the obvious and delivering nothing.” Other lines on him. For Garagiola, there was a mixed bag of responses. One listener said he “sounds so young, and reacts like a fan while rarely describing action in big moments. He carries passion, but has a lot of room to grow as a young voice in the game.” But another described both him and Candiotti as “a great listen.”

27. Athletics (Ken Korach, Johnny Doskow; Doskow also does play-by-play): 1.94

Most common grade: C (39.0%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 69.5%
TV grade: 1.27 (30th, -0.67)

The Athletics’ TV broadcast booth was well clear at the bottom of our local rankings this year, 0.46 behind the next-closest booth (the Rockies). This radio booth did significantly better. They received 12 As, 42 Bs (out of 177 total grades), and 23 Fs.

Many of the comments on the TV side focused on the team’s relocation situation, in addition to the specific broadcasters. Interestingly, there were no such items here. The main thrust of the comments here was praise for Korach, including “terrific,” “awesome,” ” the only ‘big league’ thing about the franchise,” “love Korach,” and “Korach is the A’s best broadcaster.”

There was also some praise for Korach coupled with criticism for the absence of his long-time partner Vince Cotroneo, who announced last season (ahead of the franchise’s temporary relocation to Sacramento beginning this year) that 2024 would be his last year with the team. Some of that included “They got rid of the heart of their booth not bringing Vince back” and “Korach is a legend and an A+ alone. Him with Vince Cotroneo was top-notch so lower grade (B) is for getting rid of Vince. Not a knock on Doskow, who is good, just newer so less nostalgia/connection.” But one other reader noted, “Johnny Doskow is a Sacramento fixture. Him getting to call major league games in Sacramento is the only good thing from this fiasco.”

26. Pittsburgh Pirates (Joe Block, John Wehner; also Greg Brown on play-by-play and Bob Walk, Neil Walker, Kevin Young, and Matt Capps on analysis): 1.98

Most common grade: C (38.0% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 71.1%
TV grade: 2.01 (25th, +0.03)

We have another group here where the radio booth drew similar numbers to the TV one. The Pirates’ radio booth received 15 As and 27 Fs out of 187 votes, achieving higher percentages than the TV side for those outcomes (8% to 6% on As and 14% to 8% on Fs), but they ultimately ended up in about the same place overall. And that makes some sense, as there’s significant personnel overlap with that booth (generally led by Brown and Walk, but with numerous other figures contributing, including some on the TV side as well).

Indeed, a key focus of the comments here was the way the Pirates rotate broadcasters around between radio and TV, which drew some criticism. Lines there included “I’m still confused by how they rotate all these guys, but they’ve been doing that forever,” “Too many pots in the fire but solid” (on a B grade), and “both radio and TV are mediocre at best.” There was also some individual praise for Walk in particular, including “excellent despite his shaky grammar” and “superb; incisive and irreverent,” and some individual criticism for both Block (“terrible, no baseball knowledge whatsoever”) and Brown (” fairly brutal most of the time,” “just downright awful”).

25. Houston Astros (Robert Ford, Steve Sparks): 1.99

Most common grade: C (41.4% of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 71.8%
TV grade: 2.17 (18th, +0.18)

The Astros’ radio booth drew quite a few Bs, 38 of 174 votes. They also drew 15 As, more than some groups above them. But their 21 Fs kept them down here. Those were 12.1% of their total grades, versus the 9.7% Fs the TV booth drew, and that was a factor in the radio booth placing lower.

The comments here were largely more positive than the overall grade. Those included “Robert Ford is one of the best game callers in MLB!”, “hard to do any better than Robert Ford as lead play-by-play; the two of them are incredibly easy to listen to,” “really underrated tandem here,” “competent for sure,” and “know their stuff and give accurate info.” There was one criticism of the sometimes-switched roles, with “If they didn’t let Sparks switch to play by play for a few innings, it would be an A” (on a B grade). And there were also some comments reflecting the C grades, including “about as average as you get” and “the middest of ‘mid.'” But overall, the comments had higher praise for this team than the grades did.

24. Los Angeles Angels (Terry Smith, Mark Langston): 2.01

Most common grade: C (39.5%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 72.6%
TV grade: 2.59 (10th, +0.58)

While the Angels’ booth received mostly Cs (75 of 190 votes), their Bs weren’t that far behind (47). That was key to their placement above some of these other groups, which had the most common grades of C. They received 16 As and 26 Fs. Their TV booth received a much higher percentage of As (21.2% versus 8.4%).

In the comments, one frequently cited reason for low grades was the Angels’ continued decision not to send the radio commentators on the road. That decision appears to have begun with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, but was reinforced in 2022 and 2023, even as other clubs returned to the road. Remarks there included “Not sending your team on the road = automatic F,” “Considering their constraints, they’re amazing,” and “How cheap are you to not send these two on the road?” One reader had a detailed comment on how this impacts the broadcast: “The results are exactly what you’d think. The crowd pops, and it takes a few seconds for them to recognize what’s going on. Someone hits a homer, and it sounds like they’re calling a routine pop-up until the last second. They’re great announcers, just put into a really tough situation.”

Beyond that, there was some general praise for this duo. That included “A knowledgeable duo who stay under the radar,” “pretty knowledgeable,” “work well together,” and “Terry Smith is particularly good.” But they saw criticism as well, including “not very interesting.” And one listener was particularly critical of Smith, saying, “The team that once featured Dick Enberg, Don Drysdale, Dave Niehaus and–later–Bob Starr now features a bland, colorless drone who sounds like AI if AI did play-by-play. Smith tries too hard, his catchphrases are blatantly contrived and he adds precisely zero to the enjoyment of a game.”

23. Minnesota Twins (Kris Atteberry, Dan Gladden; also Gladden on play-by-play and Paul Molitor and Glen Perkins on analysis): 2.06

Most common grade: C (39.9%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 74.7%
TV grade: 2.30 (15th, +0.24)

This booth received the third-fewest As (nine of 178 votes) of any team, ahead of only the Diamondbacks and the Marlins. However, they ultimately finished much higher than those teams due to a high number of Bs (53). The Twins’ TV booth (now featuring former radio play-by-play voice Cory Provus) performed even better, thanks to more As, though (9.2% versus 5.1%).

This is a case where the comments were more critical than the overall grade, especially regarding Atteberry’s arrival to replace Provus. Some of those included “Kris Atteberry has all the excitement of calling an eight-year-old t-ball game. Dan Gladden used to be an excellent color commentator, but now seems to have lost interest with his new partner,” “The only thing the Twins could have done to make their fire sale okay would have been trading Atteberry for anything. There has never been such a downgrade in history like going from Provus to him,” “Kris has a lot of great info, but not a great ‘baseball’ voice. Dan is is great as always, but the guest analysts always are lacking” and “This booth is reallll rough after Provus moved to TV.” And Gladden took some criticism too, including “Time for Gladden to retire. He gets a D-” (on a C grade).

22. Texas Rangers (Eric Nadel and Matt Hicks on both play-by-play and analysis; also Jared Sandler on play-by-play and analysis): 2.08

Most common grade: C (43.8%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 75.7%
TV grade: 2.01 (24th, -0.07)

The Rangers were one of the groups with significant overlap in their radio and TV grades. Their radio booth received 19 As and 19 Fs from 169 grades. That number was higher than at many other booths, with the most common grade being C, which helped them secure this slot.

The comments here saw a ton of praise for the booth, especially for Nadel. That included “Eric Nadel is a Hall of Famer for a reason,” “Eric Nadel is already in the Hall of Fame. Every game you’re reminded why,” “Eric Nadel is the best,” “Nadel is extremely good,” and “Eric is an Hall of Famer, and I love how he calls a game while I am working in my yard.” But there were plaudits for the others as well, including “Hicks is solid. Sandler is an up-and-coming voice who has shined with every chance he has gotten,” “Matt complements [Nadel] well,” and “More Jared Sandler please; always prepared, tons of energy, very community-minded in DFW.” The booth overall received compliments too, such as “polished and professional” and “best booth in the league.”

21. Baltimore Orioles (Geoff Arnold typically on play-by-play; further play-by-play and analysis from Brett Hollander and Ben Wagner): 2.10

Most common grade: C (40.6%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.7%
TV grade: 2.82 (seventh, +0.72)

This was one of the larger discrepancies between a team’s radio booth and its TV booth. That’s interesting, considering that there’s some overlap between those groups; Kevin Brown, Ben McDonald, and Jim Palmer are the leading TV-side personalities, but Hollander and Wagner often contribute there as well. (We also had Scott Garceau and Melanie Newman initially listed on these broadcasts, as a pair of early-2025 reports had them continuing with the team, but some commenters noted that Garceau hasn’t been there this year and Newman has only been on pre- and post-game shows rather than game broadcasts.)

While this group got 53 Bs on 180 votes, their 12 As and 17 Fs meant they didn’t rise higher. Some of the comments there suggested there’s too wide a range of a group here: those included “Arnold is great. The rest are mediocre at best; need a former player for better color analysis,” “too many options,” and “too many cooks.” There were multiple suggestions that Newman should get a larger radio role, though, including “Got to get Melanie calling more games on the radio. Geoff is very good and it’s a good group overall,” and “Need more Melanie.”

20. Tampa Bay Rays (Andy Freed, Neil Solondz; also Chris Adams-Wall on play-by-play): 2.10

Most common grade: C (41.9%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 72.6%
TV grade: 2.27 (16th, +0.17)

The Rays’ booth earned quite a high total of As (33 of 186) relative to their position in the rankings. But they drew 31 Ds and 20 Fs. The Fs in particular were higher for this team (10.8%) than their TV counterparts (6.3%).

Freed in particular drew notable praise here. That included “phenomenal,” “very personable and very likable,” and “Freed is great. He did a good portion of the road games on the TV side this year and is clearly in the running to get that job full-time when Dewayne Staats retires, which would be well-earned.” Solondz also drew some plaudits, including “Neil’s use of vocabulary is outstanding, and he’s never afraid to let his opinion out there” and “solid.”

There was also praise for the booth overall, including “a good broadcast with good rhythm,” “always a comfort to hear their voices,” and “every bit as good as Howie Rose and the Mets’ radio team.” However, some noted that this booth isn’t as strong when the top group isn’t available, with lines such as “The usual crew is an A+. Unlistenable when Freed does TV and Doug Waechter does color” (rated a B).

19. Cincinnati Reds (Tommy Thrall, Jeff Brantley): 2.11

Most common grade: C (42.1%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 75.3%
TV grade: 2.09 (22nd, -0.02)

This booth earned quite a similar grade to its TV counterpart, where Brantley also worked at times. The radio booth drew 24 As (of 190 votes), 39 Bs, and 19 Fs. The high number of Bs in particular was significant for where they ultimately ended up.

The comments here received numerous commendations for Thrall in particular, including his role since replacing Marty Brennaman in 2020. Those included “wonderful,” “fantastic,” “has ably filled big shoes after Marty Brennaman,” and “has gracefully replaced Marty B.” For Brantley, there was more criticism, including “sounding a bit rough and a bit distracted” and “awful.” But there was some praise for the duo, including “great chemistry” and “love the banter and rhythm that these two have established.”

18. St. Louis Cardinals (John Rooney, Rick Horton; also Mike Claiborne on analysis): 2.15

Most common grade: C (34.5%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.0%
TV grade: 2.17 (19th, +0.02)

There was a notable grade jump here from the cluster below this booth, and the key reason was the Bs. While this booth still drew primarily Cs (69 of 200 votes), it also earned 60 Bs, boosting it above the crowd.

Many of the comments here differentiated between Rooney and Horton, generally in favor of Rooney. Some of that included “Rooney’s still excellent, and I still get little from Horton, “Love Rooney but there is significant drop off with Horton or Claiborne,” “Rooney always a treat,” and “John always delivers in key moments and is always a great listen.” But there was some criticism for Rooney’s perceived homerism, and there was some other criticism for Horton, too, including “his voice is not suited to broadcasting…his jokes fall flat. I guess he wants a signature call, but wish he would drop ‘big fly’ as it seems very unoriginal.” There were also several people who looked back at others who have filled this booth, with lines like “tough to replace the good old days of Jack Buck and Mike Shannon.”

17. Washington Nationals (Charlie Slowes, Dave Jageler): 2.20

Most common grade: C (41.4%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 76.3%
TV grade: 2.00 (26th, -0.20)

The Nationals are part of a group of teams where the radio broadcast was viewed much more favorably than the TV one. In their case, a key part of that was their As, which accounted for 40 out of 198 (20.2%). The TV crew only received 61 As on 941 votes, 6.5%.

These comments were almost uniformly positive. A lot of that focused on Slowes, including “Charlie is excellent, he flies under the radar” and “Horrible team, but great play-by-play, I listen just to hear play-by-play sometimes.” But Jageler got his own praise, including one line of “Big fan of Dave, especially!” And the duo received a lot of plaudits too, including “keeps it light without being clownish, which is vital when your team is horrible,” “smooth and prepared,” “this is what baseball on the radio should sound like,” and “The Nats stink, but these guys are the best.”

16. New York Yankees (Dave Sims, Suzyn Waldman; also Emmanuel Berbari on play-by-play): 2.22

Most common grade: B (27.7%)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 68.7%
TV grade: 2.08 (23rd, -0.14)

This is the first group to receive the most common grade of B. They earned 77 B votes of 278 total (the fourth-most of any team in this poll). They also earned 54 As (19.4%) compared to 38 Fs (13.7%), which is notable, given that the team’s TV booth earned 17.3% As and 18.9% Fs.

In the comments, there was a significant amount of criticism for Sims (who’s in his first year replacing John Sterling, coming over from the Seattle Mariners’ TV booth). Some of that discussed the transition, including “Sims has struggled to make the transition from TV to radio, which is a shame since he was so good on TV. [He] has good chemistry with Suzyn, but too often it is hard to follow the action because he isn’t describing the action,” “Dave has great enthusiasm, but is too often giving a TV-like call on the radio,” “Dave does not give the score often enough,” and “Sims’ freewheeling nature doesn’t work as well on radio as it does on TV.” There was also debate about Sims and Waldman’s chemistry, with several supporting that (“meshed well with each other,” “great together”), but others criticizing it (“don’t have the same chemistry as Sterling and Waldman,” “have almost no chemistry”).

However, there was also a lot of praise for Sims. That included “Excellent choice to replace John Sterling,” “very good,” “solid pro,” “Best booth in baseball before (with Sterling), best booth now (with Sims),” “has exceeded expectations,” and “Love listening to Dave Sims.” Berbari also drew plaudits for his fill-in work, including “gets an A from me.” And Waldman drew her own praise, including “a hoot to listen to” and “an A.”

Read on for teams 15-1!