Jason Benetti Joined in Booth by 2016 Cubs World Series Champion 1B Anthony Rizzo and All-Star Pitcher Jeff Brantley to Call Reds-Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball at 7 p.m. ET; Joey Votto Provides “Inside the Pitch” Commentary and Joins Ahmed Fareed on Pregame Show
Washington Nationals Host Miami Marlins on MLB Sunday Leadoff at Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN; Play-by-Play Voice Tom McCarthy Calls Game Alongside Four-Time World Series Champion Jeff Nelson, Former Washington Infielder Kevin Frandsen, and Reporter Jordan Cornette
Houston Astros Visit New York Mets at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; 2005 World Series Champion Geoff Blum and Former Mets Infielder Todd Zeile Join Matt Vasgersian on Astros-Mets
Hall of Famer CC Sabathia to Provide “Inside the Pitch” Commentary for Astros-Mets; Ashley ShahAhmadi Serves as Sideline Reporter
Sunday Stretch Whip-Around Show to Immediately Follow MLB Sunday Leadoff; Peacock “Game of the Day” Features One Out-of-Market Game Streamed Nationally
STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 25, 2026 – NBC Sports presents an MLB tripleheader across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN this Sunday, Aug. 30, headlined by Pete Crow-Armstrong, one of the National League’s top MVP candidates, and the NL Wild Card-leading Chicago Cubs hosting MLB RBI leader Sal Stewart and the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday Night Baseball at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
NBC Sports’ Sunday MLB coverage begins with the Washington Nationals facing the NL East rival Miami Marlins on MLB Sunday Leadoff at Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN, followed by the Houston Astros visiting the New York Mets at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL: REDS-CUBS (7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock)
Two-time All-Star centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and the NL Wild Card-leading Chicago Cubs host MLB RBI leader Sal Stewart and the division rival Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. 2016 Cubs World Series champion Anthony Rizzo and 1990 NL All-Star pitcher Jeff Brantley join play-by-play voice Jason Benetti on the call of Reds-Cubs.
Ahmed Fareed will host the pregame show alongside Joey Votto, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
The Cubs, 76-56, hold the top National League Wild Card spot and are 5.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Chicago has posted 652 RBI (2nd in MLB), 176 home runs (3rd in MLB), and 1,135 hits (4th in MLB). Crow-Armstrong leads the club and ranks top 10 in the NL in triples (seven), stolen bases (32), home runs (33), on-base percentage (.376), RBI (83), and hits (140). The Reds are third in the NL with 169 home runs, powered by Stewart, who paces Cincinnati with 27 homers and leads MLB with 98 RBI. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz leads the club in triples (five) and runs scored (76).
Brantley, who makes his first Sunday Night Baseball appearance of the season, began his 14-year MLB career with the Giants in 1988, before pitching for the Reds, Cardinals, Phillies, and Rangers. He was named an NL All-Star with San Francisco in 1990, posting a 1.56 ERA with five wins, 19 saves, and 61 strikeouts across 55 appearances (86.2 innings). In 1996, Brantley was named the NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year after leading the National League with 44 saves — still the Reds’ single-season record. He retired with 172 saves and a 3.39 ERA, playing in 615 games. Brantley joined the Reds television and radio broadcast team in 2006, where he serves as color commentator on REDS.TV and 700 WLW-AM.
A three-time MLB All-Star and four-time Gold Glove-winning first baseman, Rizzo caught the final out of the 2016 World Series for the Chicago Cubs, breaking the team’s 108-year championship drought. In 2016, Rizzo set a career high in RBI (109), was awarded a Gold Glove, earned a Silver Slugger, and won the Platinum Glove as the NL’s best overall defensive player. Over 14 seasons with the Padres, Cubs, and Yankees, the lefty slugger hit 303 home runs and had four seasons with at least 100 RBI. Rizzo will serve as an analyst for NBC Sports’ MLB coverage throughout the regular season and its exclusive MLB Postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN. Rizzo will make his 12th Sunday Night Baseball appearance of the season this weekend.
Votto, a six-time All-Star and 2011 Gold Glove recipient, spent all 17 seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds. The former first baseman was named NL MVP in 2010 after leading the league with a .424 on-base percentage, .600 slugging percentage, and 1.024 OPS while batting .324 with 177 hits, 37 home runs, and 113 RBI. Known for his power and patience, the left-handed hitter compiled a .294 career batting average and hit 356 career home runs while leading the NL in on-base percentage seven times. He helped the Reds reach the postseason four times during his career. This weekend marks Votto’s second Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the season, following Yankees-Phillies on July 26.
MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF: MARLINS-NATIONALS (Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN)
Two-time All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams and the Washington Nationals face 2026 NL All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez and the rival Miami Marlins in an NL East matchup at Nationals Park this Sunday at Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN. NBC Sports Philadelphia play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy makes his MLB Sunday Leadoff debut alongside four-time World Series champion Jeff Nelson, former Washington infielder Kevin Frandsen, and reporter Jordan Cornette.
The Nationals offense leads MLB with 184 home runs, 662 RBI, 695 runs scored, and 142 stolen bases. Washington outfielder James Wood has hit 30 home runs, tied for fifth in the NL and eighth in MLB, while Abrams leads all shortstops with 29 homers — the most by a Nationals shortstop in a single season. Abrams also ranks fourth in the majors with 92 RBI. The Marlins, four games back of an NL Wild Card berth, are second in the NL in stolen bases (132) and fourth in ERA (3.90). Lopez has been one of MLB’s most productive hitters this season, ranking second in the majors with 157 hits and fifth with a .307 batting average.
Nelson, a 15-year veteran relief pitcher, won four World Series titles with the Yankees (1996, 1998-2000). The former bullpen standout started his career and had three separate stints with the Mariners, while also playing for the Rangers and White Sox. Throughout his career, the righty made eight postseason appearances, including five trips to the World Series. In 2001, during his second stretch with the Mariners, Nelson recorded a 2.76 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 69 appearances and was named to the American League All-Star team. With 798 career appearances, he tallied a 48-45 record, a 3.41 ERA, and 829 strikeouts. Nelson currently serves as a TV and radio analyst for the Marlins on Marlins.TV and the Marlins Radio Network. Nelson also broadcasts on YES Network as a studio and game analyst for the Yankees.
Frandsen, a nine-year infielder for the Giants, Angels, Phillies, and Nationals (2006-2015), was a member of Washington’s National League East Division Championship team in 2014. Known as a standout defensive player, he saw action at nearly every position throughout his major league career. Since 2022, Frandsen has been a member of the Nationals’ television broadcast booth as an analyst, following four seasons on the Phillies radio broadcast team.
Cornette will serve as a reporter on MLB Sunday Leadoff for the first time this weekend. He joined NBC Sports in 2023 as a college basketball analyst and has since contributed to the network’s coverage of college football, the NBA, and select golf events.
ASTROS-METS (3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock)
AL Triple Crown leader Yordan Alvarez and the Houston Astros visit five-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets at Citi Field this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian will call Astros-Mets alongside 2005 World Series champion Geoff Blum, former Mets infielder Todd Zeile, and reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi.
During crucial at-bats in the game, Hall of Famer CC Sabathia will provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary, giving viewers insight into the pitcher’s throw-by-throw approach against a hitter.
Astros, playing on NBC for the third time in four weeks, are half a game behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West. Alvarez leads the American League with 36 home runs, a .320 batting average, and 90 RBI, powering a Houston lineup that ranks fifth in the Majors with 173 homers. The Mets pitching staff ranks fifth in the National League with 1,183 strikeouts. New York’s rookie outfielder Carson Benge ranks third among all MLB rookies in hits (131) and second in stolen bases (19). Defensively, Benge’s nine outfield assists are the fourth-most in MLB this season.
A 14-year MLB veteran, Blum debuted with the Montreal Expos in 1999 before playing for the Astros, Rays, Padres, White Sox, and Diamondbacks. The switch-hitter won the 2005 World Series with the Chicago White Sox and delivered the go-ahead home run in the top of the 14th inning of Game 3 against the Astros — tied for the longest game in World Series history at the time. Across 1,389 games, he recorded 990 hits, 206 doubles, 99 home runs, 479 RBI, and 446 runs scored. One of baseball’s top utility players during his career, Blum appeared at all four infield positions in nine consecutive seasons from 2000-08. Blum is in his 14th season as an analyst for Astros telecasts and has won five Lone Star Emmy Awards for his work with Space City Home Network. He will make his third NBC Sports appearance of the season this weekend, following Astros-Padres on Aug. 9 and Mariners-Astros on Aug. 16.
Zeile debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989 and played for 11 teams, including the New York Mets, during his 16-season MLB career. He retired with 2,004 hits, 253 home runs, 397 doubles, and 1,110 RBI. Zeile was the Mets’ first baseman during the team’s 2000 National League Championship season and hit .302 with 16 hits, six doubles, a home run, and nine RBI during the club’s postseason run. Zeile joined the Mets television broadcast team on SNY in 2017, where he serves as an analyst on the team’s pre- and post-game coverage. Zeile made his NBC Sports debut during the Mets-Braves “Star-Spangled Sunday” game on July 5.
A 2025 inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, 2009 World Series champion (with New York Yankees), and 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner (with Cleveland), Sabathia won 251 games over his 19-year MLB career (2001-2019). A six-time All-Star, he is one of 20 pitchers in MLB history to record more than 3,000 strikeouts (3,093). Sabathia spent eight seasons with Cleveland before an 11-year tenure with the Yankees. In helping New York to the 2009 championship, he went 3-1 with a 1.98 earned run average in five Postseason starts and was named ALCS MVP. The left-hander tied for the MLB lead in wins in back-to-back seasons with 19 victories in 2009 and 21 in 2010. Sabathia, who helped launch MLB Network’s ongoing “Clubhouse Edition” special game telecast series in 2021, serves as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner. This weekend marks Sabathia’s fifth NBC Sports broadcast of the season (Guardians-Braves on April 12, Padres-Dodgers on July 5, Dodgers-Yankees on July 19, and Astros-Padres on Aug. 9).
ShahAhmadi will serve as a reporter for Astros-Mets on Sunday, after serving as a courtside reporter for NBC Sports’ NBA coverage this past season. Previously, she covered the NBA on TNT and college football with ESPN. ShahAhmadi will make her fifth appearance of the season as a reporter for NBC Sports’ MLB coverage this weekend.
Major League Baseball and NBC Sports announced the debut of Road to the Show, a new five-episode documentary series providing unprecedented access to six of baseball’s brightest young stars as they navigate the path to professional baseball’s biggest stage. All five episodes are available now on Peacock.
Produced by MLB Network and narrated by baseball content creator and YouTuber Dan Sarmiento (DSARM), Road to the Show features some of the game’s most exciting young talent, including Braden Montgomery (Chicago White Sox), Gage Wood (Philadelphia Phillies/Reading Fightin’ Phils-AA), Jesús Made (Milwaukee Brewers/Biloxi Shuckers-AA), the No. 1 overall prospect, and Ethan Holliday (Colorado Rockies/Fresno Grizzlies Single-A), alongside 2026 first-round picks Roch Cholowsky (White Sox) and Justin Lebron (Reds).
SUNDAY STRETCH WHIP-AROUND SHOW
NBC Sports’ Sunday Stretch whip-around show will stream live on Peacock immediately following Marlins-Nationals on MLB Sunday Leadoff. Produced in collaboration with the Emmy Award-winning MLB Network, the show will feature look-ins at all the compelling live action around Major League Baseball in real time and on replay every Sunday, so viewers don’t miss a single run or key play.
Peacock offers a dedicated MLB Hub, a one-stop destination for fans to access live games, team hubs, and highlights. This season, baseball fans can enjoy popular Peacock features, such as Catch up with Key Plays, if they are tuning in late; Live in Browse, which displays the live game on the Peacock home page for instant context about the matchup and allows viewers to immediately join the live game presentation; and MLB Live Picks, a mobile mini-game for fans to predict the winners.
The Sunday Stretch whip-around show will stream live on Peacock this Sunday, Aug. 30, following MLB Sunday Leadoff, providing viewers with the most compelling action in real time and on replay so they won’t miss a single run or key play. In partnership with Telemundo and Universo, Peacock will provide extensive Spanish-language coverage.
Peacock “Game of the Day” (Aug. 25 – Aug. 31)
One out-of-market game will be streamed nationally* on Peacock nearly every day of the season. Tonight, three-time All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks host two-time All-Star centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field, with first pitch set for 9:40 p.m. ET on Peacock.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Tues., Aug. 25 | 9:40 p.m. | Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Wed., Aug. 26 | 6:40 p.m. | Boston Red Sox at Miami Marlins |
| Wed., Aug. 26 | 9:05 p.m. | Minnesota Twins at Athletics |
| Thurs., Aug. 27 | 9:45 p.m. | Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants |
| Fri., Aug. 28 | 7:10 p.m. | Houston Astros at New York Mets |
| Fri., Aug. 28 | 9:38 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Angels |
| Sat., Aug. 29 | 4:10 p.m. | San Diego Padres at Tampa Bay Rays |
| Sun., Aug. 30 | 1:40 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at Detroit Tigers |
| Mon., Aug. 31 | 9:38 p.m. | New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels |
(*Note: The Peacock “Game of the Day” will not be available in the competing team markets, where it will be presented by the local rightsholder)
National Baseball Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Ahmed Fareed star in NBC Sports’ new weekly digital video series, MLB According to CC. On each episode, Sabathia and Fareed will discuss big-picture storylines and spotlight the week’s most exciting and intriguing events around baseball. Among the unique segments featured in the series: “CC’s Clubhouse” will highlight anecdotes from his playing days, while “Show Me Something” will preview MLB’s weekend slate of games and highlight key players across the league. The show’s “newstalgia” storytelling will bridge legends of baseball’s past with today’s rising stars.
New episodes are available to stream every Wednesday on the Peacock MLB Hub, NBC Sports YouTube Channel, NBCSports.com, and all major podcast platforms.
NBC SPORTS’ MLB TRADITION
NBC Sports has a distinguished history with Major League Baseball. The first-ever MLB television broadcast was a 1939 Cincinnati Reds-Brooklyn Dodgers doubleheader on W2XBS (the precursor to WNBC-TV) in New York. NBC Sports was a home to the first World Series broadcast in 1947, the first All-Star Game nationally broadcast in 1952, and has televised 39 World Series – more than any other network.
From 1957-2000, NBC Sports was home to a wealth of baseball programming, including Game of the Week and Monday Night Baseball telecasts, more than 30 All-Star Games, and countless iconic Postseason moments. For the 2022-23 seasons, Peacock was the exclusive home of MLB Sunday Leadoff, a first-of-its-kind Sunday morning presentation featuring a unique three-announcer broadcast booth with one analyst with expertise on each team joining the play-by-play voice.
--NBC SPORTS--
