Derek Jeter’s World Baseball Classic highlight should have John Smoltz furious

Of all the people to accept the jubilant and personalized celebrations at the World Baseball Classic, who would have guessed it’d be Derek Jeter?

Sure, Jeter would pump his fist or smile after a key moment, but he was never one for bat flips. Granted, the longtime Yankees captain played in a far different era, one where enjoying a home run for too long may have earned you a fastball to the ribs.

However, just because Jeter didn’t pound his chest and yell after a leadoff home run didn’t stop the five-time World Series champion from telling viewers not to complain during the WBC.

“If you’re one of those fans that don’t like bat flips, you don’t like celebrations, well, you better embrace it, or at least learn to tolerate it,” Jeter said of the Dominican Republic squad on Sunday night’s FS1 pregame show. “Because this team is gonna do it.”

For everyone’s sake, let’s hope that Atlanta Braves legend and Fox color commentator John Smoltz heard Jeter loud and clear.

Unlike Derek Jeter, John Smoltz has spent the World Baseball Classic complaining about modern baseball

Smoltz might have been a Hall of Fame starting pitcher and closer, but he is also stuck in 1996. (Which, seeing as Jeter and the Yankees defeated Smoltz’s Braves in that year’s World Series, might not be a bad thing for some in the tri-state area.)

In all seriousness, you only need to watch a half-inning to properly understand Smoltz’s shtick. Nothing is good enough for him, and it shows every single time he calls a game. Smoltz complains about analytics; he bemoans that pitchers don’t go as deep into games anymore, and he doesn’t bring the excitement needed when calling a meaningful game in 2026.

Since joining Fox’s No. 1 broadcast booth in 2016, Smoltz has repeatedly proven that he does not care for the current baseball climate, nor does he have any interest in changing. If he wants to take issue with sabermetrics and advanced stats, that’s fine; I cite bWAR in my stories while acknowledging that I believe Wins Above Replacement has some flaws. The majority of viewers most likely do not want to hear Smoltz constantly criticize how players and teams are evaluated.

By no means am I suggesting that Smoltz should be screaming every play. At the same time, is it too much to ask for a color commentator to put their personal beliefs aside and simply enjoy the game? There’s a massive difference between Smoltz saying he believes that a manager took his starter out too early as opposed to nonstop whining about “back in my day.”

We get it, John.

John Smoltz is yet another announcer who justifies watching games with the sound off

Personally, I don’t even bother watching pregame or postgame shows anymore, and I almost always watch games with the sound off. I’m tired of hearing announcers complain about how things were better in their day or watching studio analysts share ridiculous hot takes for the sake of going viral and getting clicks.

What is the point in watching a game with the sound on if the commentary is always negative? You’re better off just scrolling Twitter/X all night. Forced positivity and being afraid to call out players isn’t the answer, but neither is doom and gloom.

Of the national broadcasters across the four major U.S. sports, I think my favorite remains ESPN’s Troy Aikman, who isn’t afraid to criticize the modern NFL while still praising its players. Aikman has found a balance, and it’s part of why he and Joe Buck still work so well together. Viewers can say, “I think Troy Aikman is wrong” when he’s breaking down a player, but you’ll rarely, if ever, hear him tear into an elite receiver who loves celebrating touchdowns.

Enough is enough with Fox Sports already. Baseball fans spent nearly two decades listening to Tim McCarver ramble and complain to Joe Buck. Now, we’ve had to endure Smoltz for 10 years.

We have less than two weeks until Opening Day, so it’s probably unrealistic to think Smoltz will try taking a more positive approach by mid-April. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll sound completely different when October hits, and he’s on our TV every night during the postseason.

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