Philly Broadcast: Cole Hammels Joins Phils Broadcast Team

Cole Hammels

NBC Sports Philadelphia has confirmed the buzz that’s been swirling all offseason: Cole Hamels, the former Phillies ace, is stepping into the broadcast booth for select games this season.

The Philly Business Journal reports the lefty will team up with play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy and returning analysts John Kruk, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Ben Davis. Meanwhile, Michael Barkann will host pre-game and postgame coverage alongside analyst Ricky Bottalico. A network spokesperson said Hamels’ exact schedule is still up in the air but expect him to appear roughly once a month, much like Phillies legend Mike Schmidt does for Sunday home games.

Hamels has been busy this winter after the Phillies brought him on as a special advisor to baseball operations. He’s currently in Clearwater, Florida, mentoring the team’s pitching prospects during spring training—a gig he’ll keep up once the regular season kicks off.

Drafted by the Phillies in the first round back in 2002 out of San Diego, Hamels spent a decade with the club from 2005 to 2015. His highlight reel includes earning NLCS and World Series MVP honors in 2008, powering the Phillies to a championship. A three-time All-Star in red pinstripes, he capped his Philly tenure with a no-hitter at Wrigley Field in 2015 before a trade to the Texas Rangers. After three seasons in Texas, he pitched two years with the Chicago Cubs and wrapped up his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves in 2020.

Now 41, Hamels hung up his cleats after the 2023 season and was celebrated with a retirement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park last June. 

NBC Sports Philadelphia will air 12 spring training games this year, with the regular season slate still to come. The first broadcast is set for this Sunday at 1 p.m., featuring the Phillies hosting the Baltimore Orioles.

The network, mostly owned by Comcast Corp., partners with the Phillies, who hold a 25% stake and a share of ad revenue under a 25-year, $2.5 billion deal inked in 2014.