The good news for fans of teams in the NL West is that they’ll no longer need to worry about facing Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw multiple times a year. However, there’s still some bad news: they haven’t escaped Kershaw just yet, as the three-time NL Cy Young winner is among those contributing to NBC and Peacock’s baseball coverage. Kershaw served as a field analyst during the Dodgers’ Opening Night victory over the Diamondbacks on Thursday, and he’ll hold that position throughout the 2026 season.
Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Clayton Kershaw made his broadcasting debut with NBC and Peacock during MLB Opening Day.
- Kershaw drew praise for his keen analysis, especially on former teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
- The Dodgers legend stands in stark contrast the much-maligned FOX personality John Smoltz.
Although Kershaw is new to broadcasting, he looked right at home with a microphone in his hand. The three-time World Series champion earned rave reviews on social media for his commentary, with viewers citing his first-inning analysis of former teammate and Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto as a standout moment. Kershaw’s NBC debut comes only weeks after Atlanta Braves great and longtime FOX Sports color commentator John Smoltz turned heads and drew universal backlash for, as is always the case, his complaining and moaning about how the game was so much better when he played.
Unlike John Smoltz, Clayton Kershaw actually added to a broadcast
This was really cool getting to hear Clayton Kershaw announce for the first time after announcing his retirement.
— js9innings (@js9inningsmedia) March 27, 2026
Here he talks about why Yoshinobu Yamamoto is so dominant. I thought Kersh was stellar on the mic! pic.twitter.com/UWHEJ8yjUY
Anyone who has ever been in the workplace knows that just because you succeed in one role doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to thrive in another position. Look at how many All-Star players have failed as coaches or managers; the less said about Isiah Thomas’ tenure with the Knicks, the better.
In his prime, Smoltz was a terrific starter and closer, and he was absolutely worthy of a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. And while Smoltz has spent over a decade in Fox’s lead baseball broadcast booth, he’s joined the likes of Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver, and Jessica Mendoza among the most widely-criticized MLB color commentators.
It’s been refreshing in recent days to hear various former players, whether it was Kershaw and Neil Walker on NBC or Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo on Netflix, focus on the teams and sport itself. At no point have we heard, “Yeah, these guys are good, but back in my day…”
Thankfully, when the former players referenced their careers, they did so with purpose. Walker recalled former manager Clint Hurdle’s “shower well” advice after losses, with the idea being that the players should move on rather than let the on-field result consume them. When Kershaw was describing what makes Yamamoto such a dominant pitcher, he explained it in a way that made sense and should have resonated with viewers.
“When I tell my kids to watch people pitch, Yam is right at the top of the list,” Kershaw said. He then elaborated, praising Yamamoto’s athleticism and the effect it has on the reigning World Series MVP’s reliability.
“He’s so consistent with his delivery,” Kershaw added. “He can make changes; he can make edits when he’s missing by a little bit, and the repertoire is unbelievable.”
Other networks should learn from NBC’s Clayton Kershaw strategy
The best thing that NBC did, as several internet users noted, was not forcing Kershaw into the booth as a color commentator. Instead, Kershaw was in a position where he could comfortably analyze what he saw in small doses rather than needing to talk up a storm and avoid dead air for over two hours.
Personally, I love the idea of a former player serving as a field analyst and replacing the sideline reporter position entirely. We don’t need a midgame interview with the manager or a segment highlighting the various attractions around a ballpark. Let the focus of the game be the game itself.
Wednesday’s Yankees–Giants opener on Netflix provided yet another reminder of why the sideline reporter is an outdated presence on the broadcast. Those in the production truck were so busy on Lauren Shehadi’s interview with Giants manager Tony Vitello that Netflix missed the first ABS challenge in MLB history.
Admittedly, it’s way too early to know whether Kershaw will be a standout analyst, but I’m nonetheless uncharacteristically optimistic about his future after only nine innings. It’s too bad, though, that I gave up on Smoltz a long time ago.