The game of baseball has been played for well over a century. It’s the only American sport to survive two world wars, the Great Depression and numerous controversies and scandals within its own ranks. That’s what has made the game America’s pastime to this day. Whenever the game gets knocked down or interrupted, it always finds a way to return and rise again. Few have told baseball’s stories over the last four decades like Tom Verducci.
The five-time Emmy Award-winning writer, analyst and reporter is heading into another fall where his skills shine brightest. A member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Verducci continues to balance his duties for Sports Illustrated, MLB Network and FOX Sports while also hosting a podcast with former MLB manager Joe Maddon. At the heart of everything Verducci accomplishes each season are the lessons he learned in his early days covering the game.
“The writing feeds everything else. It starts with the backbone of writing, which is preparation. Reporting, researching, and being prepared. I always tell students to use a fraction of what you discover in your story. The same approach applies to everything else,” said Verducci. “I just wanted to be in this business because I love to write. Longform writing is closest to my heart, but I love doing everything else too.”
Verducci believes every great connection to baseball begins and ends with narrative. From an early age, he viewed the sport through the eyes of a coach. His father coached high school baseball during Verducci’s youth, giving him a unique perspective that shaped his understanding of the game.
To this day, Verducci admits he’s still learning about the sport he grew to love. From those early lessons to becoming one of baseball’s most respected storytellers, he believes the best insights often come directly from the players themselves.
“I love to learn about baseball, but a lot of what I’ve learned about the game comes from around the batting cages and dugouts when my notebook is closed,” said Verducci. “To have the opportunity to still do that is really important. Always getting to know the players personally is always better for the fans.”
Remaining Rooted In Coverage
As a lifelong storyteller of the game, access remains essential to building meaningful narratives. While writing has always served as the foundation of Verducci’s career, his move into television came naturally, allowing him to present baseball’s stories through another medium for fans to enjoy.
Verducci began his television journey with TBS in 2008. Then shifted into the booth as a game analyst with MLB Network in 2009. Verducci expanded his television resume by joining FOX Sports in 2012 and has been part of the network’s lead broadcast team since 2016. His approach is simple: tell compelling stories and leave viewers wanting to share what they just experienced.
“As a broadcaster, the best thing that I can do may involve numbers. But have a nugget or a story or an anecdote that people can pass on to someone else,” notes Verducci. “People rarely do that with a stat or figure, but it’s that narrative and story that draws people in and wanting to share with others.”
With his work on MLB Network and FOX Sports focused on a national audience, Verducci understands that approach isn’t always embraced by local fan bases. For generations, baseball coverage has been driven regionally. With more platforms than ever delivering information, Verducci has watched fans’ expectations evolve. Local voices still seem to resonate the most, something he believes benefits both the game and its continued growth.
Being a trusted source of information in sports looks much different in 2026 than it did when Verducci began covering baseball in 1981. Information travels faster, and fans demand greater access and engagement. While there is value in breaking news, Verducci believes there is even greater value in explaining what that news actually means.
“If it’s not first, then explain it best. News travels so fast now,” said Verducci. “Once the news is out, it then becomes what that news means. There’s a lot of value in explaining the news. You always want to get news, but there’s more of a premium in explaining it to people.”
Connection Through Baseball’s Evolution
Verducci is a rare breed of reporter and analyst. In an era of instant information, when nearly everyone has a platform to offer their interpretation of the news, Verducci chooses not to participate.
“Staying off social media gives me a little bit of freedom because I’m not sure what the reverberations would be of what I might say or write,” says Verducci. “I’ve had so many people tell me they wish they could do what I’m doing with social media… I always wanted what I do to be more about my work than me. I don’t need any personal feedback, I’m as tough as anyone on myself.”
He understands that staying off social media likely limits his reach, but it’s never been something that concerns him.
“Listen, I know people don’t write letters anymore. But I do answer everything that I get in terms of ‘snail mail,'” said Verducci. “If people take the time to write something with a name and return address on it, I really admire that because of the effort it takes to do that.”
Without question, baseball is enjoying one of its strongest periods in 2026. Viewership continues to rise, while games are becoming more widely distributed across streaming platforms, generating additional revenue. Players’ salaries continue to climb, and increased interest has fueled higher attendance.
The game has never moved faster, making it more digestible for modern audiences with shorter attention spans. Large-market teams are also enjoying sustained success, creating additional interest across some of the country’s biggest media markets.
“It’s been a perfect storm for baseball,” said Verducci. “The image of baseball was it’s too slow. Who says that today? Baseball in one swoop took 25 minutes of dead time out of the game. We have generations that have grown up on fast moving images now. Baseball has caught up with the direction of entertainment. Plus, super teams are great for baseball. Cinderellas are great, but major markets and stars drive the popularity of the game.”
Looming Doubts Surrounding The Game
Despite baseball’s current momentum, uncertainty looms this winter with the possibility of a work stoppage. The current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players association expires in December, creating questions about the sport’s immediate future.
This isn’t the first time Verducci has covered potential labor strife surrounding baseball. However, he understands the damage that could occur, especially after all of the adaptations the game has made in recent years to capture more attention.
“Momentum can be a fleeting thing. Especially in the world we live in now. If you go back to 1994, we know how long it took baseball to regain momentum following that strike,” explained Verducci. “There’s so many more options out there. We live in a world where everyone is competing for attention, and we only have so much attention to give… The game is in a better place than in 1994, so there’s more to risk with that momentum.”
Verducci remains hopeful that cooler heads will prevail and the sport’s momentum will continue with a new CBA in place and no games lost next season.
But in a sport built on rhythm, patience and the long view, baseball will likely rebound like it has always done. Much like the game, Tom Verducci has carved out a career that mirrors it—steady, resilient and always searching for meaning beneath the surface. While technology, television and social media have transformed how fans consume baseball, the fundamentals of great storytelling haven’t changed.
More than 40 years after he first fell in love with telling baseball stories, Verducci still approaches every season with the curiosity of a young reporter carrying a notebook into a clubhouse for the first time.
As long as that passion remains, so too will one of the game’s most respected storytellers. And like baseball itself, his story is still being written.
“I still really enjoy what I’m doing. I literally haven’t thought about how much more I want to continue covering the game, because it’s just so much fun,” says Verducci. “It’s a lot of work, and there are days where I think about what I’m doing. But the upside is still just as exciting. I’ve learned a lot about baseball, but I want to keep learning more because there is so much to learn.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.