Guthrie, Sweeney to serve as TV color analysts
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals will feature a couple new voices on the broadcast during this homestand.
Jeremy Guthrie will serve as the color analyst for the Royals’ series against the Astros this weekend at Kauffman Stadium, while Mike Sweeney will slot in for next week’s series against the Guardians. Ryan Lefebvre will remain in the booth as the play-by-play broadcaster, while lead color analyst Rex Hudler will join Joel Goldberg and Jeff Montgomery on the Bally Sports Kansas City pre and postgame shows.
Guthrie and Sweeney joined the Royals' broadcasting team this season and have served in a variety of roles, but this will be the first time they do all nine innings as the TV color analyst.
“I think it’s an ideal situation for them because they’ve been building up to this all season,” Lefebvre said. “They’ve done analysis on radio all season long. They’ve been on the pre and postgame show on television all year long, and they’ve been popping in and out of the TV booth all season long. I hope they feel like they’re prepared for it and ready for it. But there’s a big difference between doing two or three innings on TV and doing all nine innings. I’m excited to see how they do. It’s going to be fun.”
Guthrie and Sweeney have served as analysts on select radio broadcasts this year, have been on the Bally pre and postgame shows and have appeared as guests during the TV broadcasts for a few innings of select games.
“Now the difference will be that I won’t have Rex there, who’s fantastic and always has great analysis to provide,” Guthrie. “Broadcasting with Ryan, that’s why I’m so excited. I’ve listened to him for many years, so I know how good he is. That was one of the things that appealed to me when the opportunity came, working with Ryan a bit because he’s such a pro who will help anybody.”
Guthrie pitched 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, including 2012-15 with the Royals and was the winning pitcher of Game 3 of the 2014 World Series. Sweeney spent 13 of his 16 Major League seasons in Kansas City (1995-2007) and was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2015. He has remained part of the Royals’ front office as special assistant to baseball operations while serving in the broadcasting role this year.
“I think it’ll be a blast. It’ll be exciting to do something new,” Sweeney said. “And just to share my love of the Royals and baseball is going to be great.”
This will be the first time Hudler, who has been a Royals’ analyst for 12 seasons, only does the pre and postgame shows, but this is not a move to push Hudler out of the booth. The Royals expect and hope Hudler returns as their lead color analyst in 2024, per a team spokesperson.
“I’ve been elated all day,” Hudler said. “I had to ask Monty, ‘What’s your routine? What do you do? Where do you go?’ I’m just excited to work with them.
“The Royals picked two very talented broadcasters to come in and start learning our business who have pedigree. A World Series champ and Royals Hall of Famer. It enhances our audience because they don’t have to hear the same old stuff from Hud. Gives them a different flavor. Plus, to get the depth is smart.”
Lefebvre added: “Hud will be great on the desk. He’ll get to interact more with the fans who come out for the pre and postgame show. And hopefully it’ll be a nice break for him, similar to when I get to do 30 games on radio. We’re still covering the game, we’re just doing it from a different angle. And that can be refreshing over the course of six months.”