Unlike Major League Baseball, which is making unprecedented changes to the sport, ESPN is maintaining its current approach to baseball coverage this season. The network announced on Tuesday that its lead Sunday Night Baseball team will remain the same as in previous years. Karl Ravech will continue as the lead play-by-play announcer, joined by analysts David Cone and Eduardo Pérez, while Buster Olney will serve as the on-field reporter, continuing his role from past seasons.
Entering their fourth season together since their debut in 2022, the ESPN lead team will be calling games on Opening Day and during ESPN’s MLB Wild Card Series in the postseason. Similarly, Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown will feature a consistent cast, with Kevin Connors hosting most editions and regular contributions from Tim Kurkjian, Jeff Passan, Xavier Scruggs, and Jessica Mendza. Commentary throughout the season will also come from Kevin Brown, Roxy Bernstein, Mike Monaco, Mike Couzens, Anish Shroff, Ben McDonald, and Gregg Olson.
However, ESPN’s commitment to MLB is facing a test, as recent reports suggest the network may exercise the opt-out in its media rights contract with the league, potentially forcing MLB back to negotiations before the 2026 season. ESPN must decide by March whether to exercise this option, which could risk MLB losing $550 million in annual revenue from the network, as ESPN is reportedly dissatisfied with what it perceives as an overpayment for its current package in relation to the inventory it receives.
