Cole Hamels returns to the Phillies booth this weekend; NBC Sports Philadelphia’s surprising TV ratings

A familiar face is returning to NBC Sports Philadelphia for Sunday’s Phillies game.

World Series MVP Cole Hamels, “Hollywood” to those who played with him, is back for his second season calling a handful of games for the network, beginning Sunday against the Texas Rangers (1:35 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia).

Hamels is expected to call six to eight Phillies games this season. Sunday, he’ll be back alongside John Kruk and play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy, whom Hamels credited with helping him learn the lingo, the quiet taps, and the rest of the behind-the-scenes action during his “crash course” in broadcasting last year.

“From the start of the season to the end, I felt like I got a bit more comfortable,” Hamels said. “But I know I have so much to learn.”

There are plenty of Sundays available this season, since Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt decided to hang up his headset after 12 years with NBC Sports Philadelphia. Hamels would be interested in picking up more games, but is prioritizing his time with his three daughters.

“No one can replace Mike Schmidt. It would be unfair to even ask, and they’re both phenomenal in their own ways,” said Alexandra Matcham, the vice president of content for NBC Sports Philadelphia, who praised Hamels’ quick development in the booth.

“Certainly, we would love to have him every weekend,” Matcham said.

It might seem counter intuitive, but Hamels excelled last year by not oversharing. In a three-person booth, there is often a tendency to over talk, especially with someone like Kruk willing to go off on tangents to tell wild stories.

Instead, Hamels picked his spots and offered analysis where he felt it was appropriate, but otherwise tried to take in what the games were offering.

“I think it’s just naturally who I am,” Hamels said. “I’ve always been really good at reading people and reading a room... It felt natural, and I think that’s what I really enjoyed.”

“And I love listening to Kruk’s stories like everyone else,” Hamels added. “I just have to remember to hit the mute button when I’m laughing.”

One such moment came during a July game against the Cincinnati Reds, when Kruk pointed out an off-color quirk of the term “analogy” and quickly blamed Hamels for the remark.

“I’m going to get in trouble,” Hamels dryly responded.

While Hamels didn’t call any spring training games, he did spend more time over the past year watching other baseball broadcasts. That allowed him to pick up on what he enjoyed, what he didn’t like, and incorporate that into his broadcasts this year.

And a one-time Phillies outfielder is among his favorites.

“I love listening to Jeff Francoeur,” Hamels said of the TNT analyst. “I love it when it’s Chipper Jones, Francoeur, and either John Smoltz or Tom Glavine. When they do that booth, it’s really cool.”

One new wrinkle Hamels and other broadcasters are contending with is the automated ball-strike system, the so-called “robot umpires” that allow pitches to be challenged. As part of the system, MLB has banned broadcasts from showing ball and strikes in their strike zone boxes out of fear of tipping off players.

Hamels said it would be an interesting adjustment for announcers, but it could be much worse. Last year, he traveled to South Korea with Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre, where the Korean Baseball Organization has had robot umpires calling every pitch for three seasons.

“They actually have a computer that calls the balls and strikes, and the umpires are just there to tell everybody what it is. It’s wild,” Hamels said. “I hope MLB doesn’t ever go there.”

Announcing isn’t the only role Hamels has with the Phillies. He’s also continuing his work as a special adviser, which means spending time with the team and helping in various ways, whether its having dinner with sponsors or doing meet-and-greets in the suites at Citizens Bank Park.

That puts Hamels, one of the best pitchers in Phillies history, in position to aid in the development of the team’s young talent, including rookie Andrew Painter. But Hamels said he doesn’t push his experience on the players and generally works through the coaches to provide his insight.

“They want me to watch pitchers more,” Hamels said. “They want me to see what I can notice with minor league guys, what they might need to work on in order to get to the next level.”

While Hamels is enjoying his on-ramp into broadcasting, he never dreamed of becoming an announcer. But he did have the fortune of hearing the iconic voice of Harry Kalas call his games, an experience now coming full circle.

“I admired Harry, and it’s just surreal that I’ve been lucky enough to be in the same booth in a similar fashion,” Hamels said. “Just not at his level.”

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The Phillies didn’t go far in the playoffs last season, but plenty of fans tuned in every night.

Phillies broadcasts on NBC10 and NBC Sports Philadelphia were the most-watched in all of MLB last season, averaging 324,000 viewers per game, according to Nielsen numbers obtained by The Inquirer.

Even considering the Phillies’ success last season, it’s an impressive achievement. Philadelphia is the fifth-largest television market in the country, and teams in larger markets also enjoyed success last year, including Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

What’s more impressive is viewership numbers were slightly down from 2024, when NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC10 averaged 369,000 viewers per game. Both are way up compared to 2023, when the Phillies averaged 279,000 viewers per game.