Rubén Amaro Jr. is back calling Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, which is also adding a new face

Rubén Amaro Jr. has managed to do the unthinkable — win over Phillies fans who once cursed his name.

Amaro, the former Phillies general manager turned sports talker, is entering his fourth season as a Phillies analyst on NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he has excelled in the broadcast booth and the studio. Fans and pundits who were critical of Amaro during the latter years of his tenure (he was fired in 2015) appear to have been won over by his likable personality and informative analysis, fueled by a lifetime around baseball.

In addition to working in the Phillies front office for 17 years, the Philadelphia native spent eight seasons in the big leagues as an outfielder, five in Philadelphia. He also spent three seasons as a first base coach for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets.

“The fact that I’ve worn so many different hats and had so many different experiences is kind of unique for the listener because I have so many different perspectives,” Amaro said. “I have people come up to me all the time and say, ‘Hey, I love when you’re on WIP’ or ‘I really liked the way you analyze games on NBC Sports Philadelphia.’ And that’s really gratifying.”

Amaro, 58, called around 50 games last year for the network, and said he might call more this season. He’ll share the analyst duties with Jon Kruk, Ben Davis, and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who will be back for Sunday home games.

Amaro credits much of his success in the booth to Tom McCarthy, who is back for his 14th season as the team’s play-by-play voice on television (he spent five years on the radio). McCarthy recently signed a deal that will keep him on NBC Sports Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.

“He’s part of the fabric of the team,” Amaro said. “Anytime you follow a Hall of Famer like Harry Kalas, it makes it very difficult. But I think people are finally appreciating what Tom means to our broadcast team and our fan base.”

The Phillies’ opening day Thursday against the Texas Rangers will air at 4:50 p.m. on NBC10, with McCarthy and Kruk in the booth (Amaro will be on the pre- and postgame shows with Michael Barkann). Twelve Phillies games are scheduled to air on NBC10, and they will also air in Spanish on TeleXitos.

NBC Sports Philadelphia will televise 133 of the Phillies’ 162 games, with five on NBC Sports Philadelphia+, though that could change if the Phillies are as good as everyone expects, especially after signing shortstop Trea Turner.

“I think that was the biggest, most important signing in all of baseball,” Amaro said.

A new wrinkle to the broadcast will be former Flyers studio host Taryn Hatcher, who will serve as a reporter during home games at Citizens Bank Park. NBC Sports Philadelphia hasn’t had a reporter during Phillies broadcasts since laying off Gregg Murphy as part of cutbacks in 2020.

On the radio, longtime Phillies announcer Scott Franzke returns for his 18th season, and 17th as the lead play-by-play voice. Like McCarthy, Franzke also signed a new deal that will keep him in the booth for several seasons.

Joining Franzke will be veteran announcer Larry Andersen, who will again be limited to home weekend series and other select games after having called all of the Phillies’ 17 playoff games last season.

Calling the bulk of games this year alongside Franzke will be former Phillies shortstop Kevin Stocker, who was promoted after splitting time last season with ex-Phillies Michael Bourn, Chad Durbin, and Erik Kratz.

Murphy returns to host pre- and postgame radio coverage for all 162 games.

ESPN is beginning its 34th season of Sunday Night Baseball with the final game of the Phillies’ season-opening series against the Rangers at 7:08 p.m.

It’s the first of three scheduled appearances on ESPN, which will feature Karl Ravech, David Cone, and Eduardo Perez calling games, with Buster Olney back to handle reporting from the stands.

But if you’re eager to hear what Alex Rodriguez thinks of the Phillies, you can tune in to ESPN2 Sunday to watch the slugger’s Manningcast-style alternative broadcast with New York Yankees announcer Michael Kay, which is returning for a second season.

Dubbed the KayRod Cast, A-Rod and Kay are scheduled to appear during three games, including the Phillies-Rangers on Sunday.

Fox also returns with its Saturday package, featuring a mix of afternoon and evening games. The Phillies are scheduled to appear on Fox’s regionalized coverage six times, beginning Saturday against the Rangers.

Phillies fans will once again experience the headache of a handful of games streaming exclusively on Peacock and Apple TV+. This year, you may have to open your wallet.

Apple TV+ will require a subscription to watch its slate of Friday night MLB games. That means Phillies fans will have to fork over $7 a month to watch the two games scheduled to stream platform — April 28 against the Houston Astros and June 23 against the New York Mets.

There is a workaround. Thanks to Apple’s deal with DirectTV, the Phillies games will air at bars and restaurants that already use the satellite service.

Among the voices calling MLB games for Apple is Dontrelle Willis, the short-lived Phillies pitcher who signed with the team in 2012 but made just three Grapefruit League appearances.

Peacock is also scheduled to stream two Phillies games as part of its Sunday Leadoff morning package — April 23 against the Colorado Rockies, and Sept. 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

If you’re a Comcast Xfinity subscriber, you can stream Peacock for free. Otherwise, the premium tier is $4.99 a month.