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As the Dodgers' 2026 campaign fades into memory, it's worth examining the television and radio broadcasts that brought the action to fans. The team appeared in 17 games exclusively on national outlets such as NBC, Fox, ESPN, and Apple TV, posting a 9-8 record in those contests. The remaining 145 games were televised locally by SportsNet LA, now in its 13th season covering the Dodgers and seventh year of widespread availability following years of carriage disputes.
Joe Davis handled play-by-play for 88 games on SportsNet LA, matching his totals of 87 in each of the previous three seasons. The additional local assignment came on July 19 at Yankee Stadium, a makeup game after the previous day's Fox broadcast was rained out. Davis, who also leads Fox's top MLB and No. 2 NFL broadcast teams, called five regular-season Dodgers games for Fox and six of their eight postseason games, missing only Games 3-4 of the NLDS in Atlanta due to laryngitis.
One of Davis's favorite aspects of the 2026 season was profiling former Dodgers players during broadcasts, shedding light on lesser-known figures. For instance, on August 28 against the Tigers, he shared the story of Goody Rosen, a Canadian outfielder who played for the Dodgers from 1937-1939 and later hit .345 in 1945 after a four-year minor-league stint during World War II. Davis recounted Rosen's post-baseball life in semi-pro and fast-pitch softball, weaving the tale into the first three pitches of the sixth inning while Tommy Edman batted.
Stephen Nelson called the other 57 SportsNet LA games and also handled 59 radio broadcasts on AM 570, plus four postseason radio games on the road and all three Freeway Series exhibitions against the Angels in March. Orel Hershiser served as analyst for 85 SportsNet LA games, consistent with his workloads from 2023-2025, and also analyzed all four Dodgers games on NBC and the April 15 matchup against the Mets. The most frequent TV pairing was Davis and Hershiser with 58 games, followed by Nelson and Hershiser with 27.
Eric Karros called 34 games (19 with Nelson, 15 with Davis) and joined Nelson for three Freeway Series games. Jessica Mendoza worked 17 games (11 with Davis, six with Nelson). Dontrelle Willis returned to local broadcasts for the first time since 2023, calling all seven games of a September 12-18 road trip through Miami and Cincinnati (two with Davis, five with Nelson). Willis also analyzed all four Apple TV exclusive games and was inducted into the Marlins Hall of Fame on September 13, the same day Josue De Paula hit his first major league home run, a 416-foot blast.
Nelson reflected on that moment: "First of all, what a bomb for your first hit in the big leagues. But being with Dontrelle that road trip was so fun. He hadn't called a game for SNLA since 2023, which was my first year. And we've been trying to get him back. Because it's just pure energy and joy. So, D-Train's energy, combined with the energy Josue brought with that swing and in general down the stretch, was just a fun thing to be part of. And I'm so pumped for his future. It couldn't be brighter."
Other notable broadcasts included Nomar Garciaparra as analyst alongside Davis on April 26 against the Cubs, and Clayton Kershaw making his booth debut on August 25 against the Braves in Atlanta, also with Davis. Kershaw also contributed to NBC Sports telecasts as an analyst.
Six times this season, Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros faced the Dodgers while his father, Eric, was calling the game. Eric went out of his way to avoid acknowledging the relationship, often referring to him simply as "the third baseman." After a Kyle single at Dodger Stadium on May 26, Freddie Freeman laughed and pointed toward the booth, trying to get a reaction. Nelson recalled: "I'm obviously a few years behind EK in terms of being a father to two boys. So I look up to him in many respects there; how he and Trish have raised Kyle and Jared. But calling a game with him hitting as Kyle homered off [Miguel] Rojas at Dodger Stadium was just awesome. And hilarious. He was so so proud but he was trying to be impossibly professional those Rockies series. Then later in the year, at Colorado, Kyle was hurt. And we were talking about him. Our director cut to a shot of Kyle in the Rockies dugout and he was looking up. I'm looking at him, and I'm like 'I think he's looking at you,' and we start waving and Kyle smiles and waves back. That's the good stuff, man."
Charley Steiner, who missed nearly all of 2024 and 2025 while battling multiple myeloma and a broken back, gradually returned in 2026 to call 35 radio games. He started with one home game per series and increased his innings from three to seven before calling his first complete game on August 15, which he considered one of the most important calls of his career. Rick Monday recalled that broadcast: "I turned to him after it was over and gave him a fist bump. Neither one of us said a word. I knew my buddy was back." Steiner called 10 complete games over the final six weeks and all four home postseason games on radio.
Monday, at age 80, was the most prolific Dodgers announcer in 2026, calling 155 regular-season games and all eight postseason games on radio after working 27 spring training games with Tim Neverett on SportsNet LA. Steiner praised their partnership: "I'm so fortunate to have Mo. I'm his partner, he's my partner. We're friends, and Duane [McDonald, producer and engineer] in the booth, it's a nice – it's family." He added: "What a rare and special and unique character, and yet for twenty-something years we've been together, whether it's in the booth, on the bus, in the airplane, at dinner. To be part of that, it's a wonderful group. When you do it for so long, and are so close, yeah, we just go out and play."
Monday's only absences were for trips to Cooperstown related to the 50th anniversary of his flag-saving incident in 1976. James Loney filled in as radio analyst for the May 22-24 series in Milwaukee, and José Mota moved from the Spanish booth to serve as English analyst for May 25 against the Rockies and July 24-26 against the Mets in New York.
Radio pairings include some double counting, as the 25 games Steiner started but did not finish were also credited to Neverett (16) and Nelson (nine). The primary duos were Neverett & Monday (89 games), Nelson & Monday (56), Steiner & Monday (35), Nelson & Mota (3), Neverett & Loney (3), and Neverett & Mota (1).
Key Analysis
The 2026 Dodgers broadcast season was defined by resilience and storytelling. Steiner's emotional return after serious health issues added a poignant layer, while the Karros father-son dynamic provided lighthearted moments. Davis's historical profiles and the seamless integration of rotating analysts like Willis and Kershaw underscored the depth of the broadcast team. With consistent workloads for Davis and Hershiser, and Nelson's dual roles, the Dodgers' coverage balanced national exposure with local authenticity, ensuring fans remained connected to the team's rich history and present success.
Originally reported by yahoo.