ESPN Announces ‘KayRod’ Alternate Broadcast Schedule for April, Featuring Phillies, Astros, Mets, More
ESPN’s “KayRod” broadcast returns for the 2023 MLB season with five games in the month of April. The worldwide leader in sports announced the schedule for the alternative broadcasts starring ESPN New York radio host and Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay and former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The pair will bring their unique approach to game coverage to five games in April, meaning they’ll be calling games every Sunday throughout the month.
The games will be in addition to the traditional “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts anchored by Karl Ravech, David Cone, and Eduardo Pérez. All five “KayRod” broadcasts will air on ESPN2 and the ESPN App, while the main broadcast will continue to air on ESPN.
The “KayRod” season starts on April 2 in Arlington, Texas, when the defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies head to the Lone Star State to take on the Texas Rangers. On April 9, the “KayRod” experience heads to Atlanta, where the visiting Padres will take on the Braves. The following week, the duo will cover the April 16 matchup between the Rangers and the Houston Astros. We’ll also see them cover the contest between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants on April 23.
Lastly, and maybe most interesting of all, will be the World Series rematch between the Phillies and Astros on April 30. The Phillies return to where their season ended last year to either relive the torment or exorcise some demons.
You can find the full April schedule below, with more dates to follow:
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2 | 7 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies vs. Texas Rangers* | ESPN2 |
| April 9 | 7 p.m. | San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves | ESPN2 |
| April 16 | 7 p.m. | Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros* | ESPN2 |
| April 23 | 7 p.m. | New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants | ESPN2 |
| April 30 | 7 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros* | ESPN2 |
ESPN announced the KayRod broadcast prior to the 2022 season amidst a flurry of alternate broadcasts following the success of Monday Night Football’s “ManningCast.” Even back then, ESPN management was thrilled with the idea of an alternative baseball broadcast.
“I’m equally excited for the duo of Alex Rodriguez and Michael Kay to team up and offer fans a new, engaging experience,” ESPN EVP Norby Williamson said. “The innovative Sunday Night Baseball with Kay-Rod presentations will be informative and entertaining and play a crucial role in our overall Sunday Night Baseball content offerings.”
Clearly, Year 1 of the “KayRod” experience went well, as the pair will match half their workload from all of last season in the first month of the season alone.