The 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs begins on Tuesday, with ESPN providing exclusive coverage. The Worldwide Leader will gain from four back-to-back games and a best-of-three series.
The games will be broadcast exclusively on Walt Disney-owned networks ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. ESPN will also offer a nationwide radio broadcast on ESPN Radio. Sean McDonough will be joined by Jessica Mendoza and Tim Kurkjian on the broadcast teams in 2023, with Coley Harvey reporting for the Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays series.
ESPN Baseball Tonight, hosted by Kevin Connors, Nicole Briscoe, Xavier Scruggs, and Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan, will bookend live game coverage each day. ESPN will broadcast shows at 2 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. ET, and 7:30 p.m. ET.
According to Phil Orlins, ESPN’s vice president of production for MLB broadcasts, all save the Blue Jays-Twins series will have “umpire cam” broadcasts, which will bring views from behind the plate into your living room.
The Wild Card Series was picked up by ESPN when it was changed from a one-game play-in to a best-of-three when the league and MLB Players Association agreed to add two teams – one from each conference – to the wild card. That is compensation for the network.
The immediacy of the first playoff games showing after the playoffs, according to Orlins, is crucial. However, he views the shorter series as more appealing to fans than the typical five-game series.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that whether it was the old wildcard model with a single game or the current wildcard with four best-of-three series, it was the best wildcard model.” “It adds a significant amount of urgency for fans,” Orlins added. “It’s four games in a day, four days in a row.” So it has a vitality to it.”
Broadcasting Tasks
Assignments on television:
• Miami Marlins at. Philadelphia Phillies: Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, and David Cone are reporting for Buster Olney.
• Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins: Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez are on the call, with Alden Gonzalez filling in.
• Jon Sciambi and Doug Glanville will call the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers, with Jesse Rogers reporting.
• Texas Rangers against. Tampa Bay Rays: Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoza, Tim Kurkjian, and Coley Harvey will have the call.
Assignments for radio:
• Mike Couzens and Chris Burke for the Miami Marlins at. Philadelphia Phillies.
• Dave O’Brien and Kyle Peterson for the Toronto Blue Jays against. Minnesota Twins.
• Roxy Bernstein and Gregg Olson for the Arizona Diamondbacks versus. Milwaukee Brewers.
• Mike Monaco and Todd Frazier for the Texas Rangers against. the Tampa Bay Rays.
Deportes responsibilities:
• Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Alvarez, and Guillermo Celis for the Miami Marlins vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Marcelo Canto and Eitan Benezra for the Toronto Blue Jays versus. Minnesota Twins.
• Carolina Guillen, Orlando Hernandez, and Enrique Rojas for the Arizona Diamondbacks versus. Milwaukee Brewers.
• Jorge Eduardo Sánchez and Ismael Valdez for the Texas Rangers against. Tampa Bay Rays.
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