MLB announcer Jason Benetti leaves White Sox to join division rival's broadcast team
The Detroit Tigers said they wanted to be ambitious in their search for a new voice of the team. It's safe to say, they've accomplished that.
The Tigers announced Thursday they have hired national broadcaster Jason Benetti as the new television play-by-play announcer on the Bally Sports Detroit broadcast, beginning in the 2024 season.
He signed a multi-year contract.
Benetti, who replaces Matt Shepard, has spent the past eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox. The 40-year-old will be employed by the Tigers, not Bally Sports Detroit.
The Tigers announced Benetti's hire Thursday morning.
FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team
"I'm incredibly proud to join this historic and ascending Tigers franchise," Benetti said in a statement. "From every single person I talked with throughout the interview process it was clear why so many respected professionals and creative people have joined the organization in the last several years. There's something special about it, and I'm excited to bring that energy to Tigers fans around the globe."
Benetti will broadcast a minimum of 127 games per season for the Tigers. He still has national broadcast obligations. In the case of scheduling conflicts, radio play-by-play announcer Dan Dickerson will move to the TV booth when Benetti isn't calling games.
Both Benetti and Dickerson want Tigers fans to have the best broadcast experience throughout the entire season. In Benetti and Dickerson, the Tigers have what could be described as the best TV and radio duo in baseball.
The Tigers posted a 78-84 record for second place in the American League Central — widely considered the weakest division — in the 2023 season. The first-place Minnesota Twins plan to cut payroll this offseason. The Tigers, if the young players perform to expectations, could compete for the AL Central title in 2024, even without a splashy free-agent signing.
Recently, Benetti met with CEO and chairman Christopher Ilitch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
"Everyone I spent time with made it clear this was the right place for me," Benetti said. "I was born and raised in the Midwest and understand how important sports are, especially here in the Motor City."
Benetti, diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a toddler, grew up in Homewood, Illinois, about 25 miles south of Chicago. He graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 2001.
He graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2005 with bachelor's degrees in journalism, economics and physiology. He also graduated from Wake Forest University's School of Law in 2011 with a juris doctor degree.
In his career, Benetti has worked for ESPN, NBC and Fox, but he is now primarily contracted with Fox Sports for national assignments. He joined the White Sox as the TV play-by-play announcer on NBC Sports Chicago in the 2016 season for select home and road games. He handled full-time play-by-play duties in the 2019-23 seasons, following Ken Harrelson's retirement.
The search and hiring processes were led by Ron Colangelo (Senior Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment), Ben Fidelman (Director of Communications and Broadcasting, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment) and Jeff Byle (Executive Producer, Bally Sports Detroit).
"Jason is a world-class talent and today is another tremendous step forward for the Tigers as we continue to build a championship-level organization and experience for our fans," Ryan Gustafson, EVP/COO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, said in a statement. "Beyond his talent, Jason's story is an inspiration and our shared commitment to excellence and innovation was apparent throughout our discussions. We are thrilled to welcome Jason to our family."
"All of us at Bally Sports welcome Jason to Detroit, and we're thrilled he's joining our Tigers telecasts," Greg Hammaren, Bally Sports Detroit senior vice president and general manager, said in a statement. "Jason's reputation as one of the best and brightest announcers across all of sports adds to our already strong production effort here in Detroit. His deep knowledge and love for baseball are traits shared by our incredible fans, and we're looking forward to them getting to know Jason more starting in February when the Tigers take the field in Lakeland."