ESPN 2025 Alt-Cast Schedule Includes Home Run Derby, Little League Classic

The ESPN alt-cast is returning for the 2025 MLB season, as the network announced today that it will feature eight alt-casts, including six editions of Sunday Night Baseball: Statcast Edition. The alt-cast concepts have grown in popularity since debuting last season. This broadcast format allows viewers to experience a different approach to calling a baseball game, with a heavy focus on statistics and analytics.

All alt-casts will be available alongside the traditional game broadcasts on ESPN. Each alt-cast will be hosted by Kevin Brown, with analysis from Trevor May and MLB Statcast Insider Mike Petriello.

As part of the announcement, ESPN also confirmed that the T-Mobile Home Run Derby: Statcast Edition will return this coming July.

The T-Mobile Home Run Derby: Statcast Edition, which debuted in 2018, features a Statcast-driven execution specifically tailored to the Home Run Derby. This special edition will air on ESPN2 alongside the live play-by-play of the event on ESPN, with Brown, May, and Petriello returning as hosts.

Additionally, in conjunction with ESPN’s broadcast of the annual MLB Little League Classic presented by New York Life, the network announced a KidsCast Edition of the event. This unique broadcast will be led by an all-teenage commentary team, providing coverage informed and driven by a youth perspective. The KidsCast Edition will be featured on ESPN2.

Looking ahead, this marks the final year of ESPN and MLB’s current broadcast agreement, as both parties have mutually opted out following the 2025 baseball season. It remains uncertain whether MLB will secure a new rights partner—or a combination of partners—that can match or exceed the financial terms provided by ESPN. The existing seven-year pact, which began in 2022, granted ESPN rights to Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby, and the Wild Card Series, along with audio rights to the remainder of the MLB postseason.

The first Sunday Night Baseball: Statcast Edition of the season is scheduled for June 22, as the New York Mets take on the Philadelphia Phillies.

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