Seven-Time Cy Young Award Winner Roger Clemens and 2013 World Series Champion 3B Will Middlebrooks Join Jason Benetti in Booth on Sunday Night Baseball at 7 p.m. ET
Bob Costas Hosts Sunday Night Baseball Pregame with 2016 World Series Champion and Four-Time Gold Glove First Baseman Anthony Rizzo, who will also Provide “Inside the Pitch” Commentary from Batter’s Perspective
NBC Sports MLB Conference Call Today, Tuesday, June 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET, Featuring Roger Clemens, Bob Costas, Jason Benetti, Anthony Rizzo & Rob Hyland
2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and Breakout Shortstop Zach Neto Headline Athletics-Angels Divisional Matchup on MLB Sunday Leadoff at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN
Dave Flemming to Call Athletics-Angels Alongside Former Athletics Pitcher Dallas Braden and 1985 World Series Champion Mark Gubicza; John Fanta Serves as Sideline Reporter
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 23, 2026 – Divisional matchups headline NBC Sports’ MLB coverage this Sunday, June 28, with the historic Yankees-Red Sox rivalry returning to the network for the first time since 1995 on Sunday Night Baseball at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Earlier in the day, 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and the Athletics visit breakout shortstop Zach Neto and the Los Angeles Angels on MLB Sunday Leadoff at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN.
SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL: YANKEES-RED SOX (7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock)
Breakout first baseman Ben Rice and the first-place New York Yankees meet the Boston Red Sox, led by first baseman Willson Contreras – a three-time All-Star – in a marquee primetime matchup this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET from Fenway Park on NBC and Peacock. Play-by-play voice Jason Benetti will call Yankees-Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball alongside seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and 2013 World Series champion Will Middlebrooks.
Bob Costas will host the pregame show alongside Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
The iconic Yankees-Red Sox rivalry returns to NBC Sports this Sunday for the first time since Sept. 8, 1995, when David Cone, Darryl Strawberry, and Paul O’Neill led New York to an 8-4 win over Boston and 1995 AL MVP Mo Vaughn at Yankee Stadium. The late-season victory helped propel the Yankees to an AL Wild Card berth and their then-first postseason appearance since 1981. Costas called that game alongside his longtime broadcast partner Bob Uecker.
The Yankees hold a 46-31 record, the best in the American League, and a two-game lead in the AL East. New York has been dominant on the mound and on offense, leading the AL with a 3.37 ERA, 115 home runs, 375 RBI, and 81 stolen bases. Rice is in the midst of a breakout season, pacing the Yankees with 22 home runs (3rd in the AL), 53 RBI (T-4th in the AL), a .288 batting average (10th in the AL), and 15 doubles. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm ranks fourth in MLB with 23 stolen bases. The Red Sox are eighth in the AL with a .242 batting average, led by Contreras, whose .281-mark ranks in the top 15 in the league. Contreras also leads the team in slugging (.525), OPS (.901), home runs (16), and RBI (45). Closer Aroldis Chapman is tied for fourth in the AL with 14 saves.
Clemens, an 11-time All-Star, enjoyed a prolific 24-year MLB career with the Red Sox (1984-1996), Blue Jays (1997-98), Yankees (1999-2003, 2007), and Astros (2004-06). He won an MLB-record seven Cy Young Awards and finished his career with 4,672 strikeouts (3rd all-time), 354 wins (9th all-time), and a 3.12 ERA across 707 starts (7th all-time). Clemens was named AL MVP in 1986 after going 24-4 with 238 strikeouts, a 2.48 ERA, and 10 complete games in 33 starts for Boston. He also captured the pitching Triple Crown in back-to-back seasons with Toronto in 1997 (21 wins, 2.05 ERA, 292 strikeouts) and 1998 (20 wins, 2.65 ERA, 271 strikeouts) and won two World Series titles with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000. Clemens served as a game analyst on ESPN’s MLB coverage of 2023 Opening Day and appeared on ESPN’s KayRod Cast.
Middlebrooks began his six-year MLB career (2012-2017) with the Red Sox (2012-14), before making stops with the Padres, Brewers, and Rangers. A member of Boston’s 2013 World Series championship team, Middlebrooks recorded four hits, including two doubles, during the club’s postseason run. The former third baseman hit 43 home runs and drove in 155 runs in his career. Since 2022, he has served as a studio and game analyst for Red Sox telecasts on the New England Sports Network and as a color analyst for the club’s radio broadcasts on WEEI-FM.
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.
MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF: ATHLETICS-ANGELS (3 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN)
Breakout shortstop Zach Neto and the Los Angeles Angels host 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and the Athletics in an AL West Division matchup at Angel Stadium this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN. Former Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden, 1985 World Series champion Mark Gubicza, and reporter John Fanta join play-by-play voice Dave Flemming on this week’s MLB Sunday Leadoff announce team.
The second-place Athletics, 1.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, rank fourth in MLB in home runs (105), sixth in hits (666), and seventh in saves (23). Kurtz leads the majors with a .439 on-base percentage and 61 RBI, while batting a team-best .290 with 56 runs scored. Kurtz is also tied with catcher Shea Langeliers for the club lead with 19 home runs. Angels’ pitchers are third in the AL with 691 strikeouts. Neto is tied with Mike Trout for the Angels’ team lead with 17 home runs and has hit seven in June, the second-most in the AL behind only Kurtz (9). He also leads the club with 11 stolen bases and ranks second with 39 RBI.
Braden debuted with the Athletics in 2007 and spent his entire five-year MLB career with the club (2007-11). The southpaw threw the 19th perfect game in MLB history against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9, 2010, needing just 109 pitches and six strikeouts to finish the game. Across 94 appearances, including 79 starts, Braden compiled 26 wins, 305 strikeouts, a 4.16 ERA, and two complete-game shutouts. He joined NBC Sports California as a member of the Athletics’ television broadcast team in 2017, where he now serves as a color commentator and field analyst.
A member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, Gubicza pitched for the team in 13 of his 14 MLB seasons (1984-1997), before his final season with the Angels. A two-time All-Star, the right-hander started 28 games and finished with 14 wins in the Royals’ 1985 championship season. In 1988, Gubicza went 20-8, with a 2.70 ERA and 183 strikeouts, making his first All-Star team and finishing third in the AL Cy Young vote. Now in his 20th season as an analyst with the Angels, Gubicza received the 2022 Southern California Sports Broadcaster Award for most outstanding TV analyst.
Fanta will serve as a reporter on this Sunday’s presentation of MLB Sunday Leadoff. Fanta joined NBC Sports in August 2025 on a full-time basis as its lead BIG EAST basketball play-by-play voice.
SUNDAY STRETCH WHIP-AROUND SHOW
NBC Sports’ Sunday Stretch whip-around show will stream live on Peacock immediately following Athletics-Angels 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 will feature a dedicated MLB Hub, a one-stop destination for fans to access live games, team hubs, and highlights. This season, baseball fans will also be able to 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, June 28, 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” (June 23 – July 1)
One out-of-market game will be streamed nationally* on Peacock nearly every day of the season. Tonight, breakout shortstop Zach Neto and the Los Angeles Angels host two-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman and the Baltimore Orioles at Angel Stadium with first pitch set for 9:38 p.m. ET on Peacock.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Tues., June 23 | 9:38 p.m. | Baltimore Orioles at Los Angeles Angels |
| Wed., June 24 | 7:40 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at Minnesota Twins |
| Thurs., June 25 | 12:35 p.m. | Seattle Mariners at Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Fri., June 26 | 7:10 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets |
| Sat., June 27 | 7:05 p.m. | Washington Nationals at Baltimore Orioles |
| Sun., June 28 | 1:40 p.m. | Houston Astros at Detroit Tigers |
| Mon., June 29 | 9:40 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at Athletics |
| Tues., June 30 | 9:40 p.m. | San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Wed., July 1 | 1:35 p.m. | Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees |
(*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--
