Padres fans may still be waiting for the kind of banner that really matters, but their TV booth just pulled off a rare repeat. Don Orsillo and Mark Grant are No. 1 in MLB local broadcasting again, according to Awful Announcing’s 2026 rankings.
More than 9,300 people took part in the vote, and San Diego came out on top with a 3.07 score. The Padres drew 52 percent A grades, and 88.1 percent of respondents gave the crew an A, B or C.
San Diego finished ahead of the Giants and Mets, while the Dodgers landed at No. 14.
That makes it back-to-back wins for Orsillo, Grant and the Padres broadcast group, after they also finished first in the 2025 rankings. The score dipped from last year’s 3.47, but the larger voting field didn’t change the outcome. The verdict was the same: this is baseball’s favorite local booth.
The pairing’s appeal is easy to understand for anyone who watches Padres games regularly. Orsillo has a way of making even a routine Tuesday sound like it matters.
Grant brings the balance, using humor, sharp game knowledge and a self-aware style that keeps even slow stretches from feeling empty. The two clearly feed off each other, and that chemistry comes through every night.
And it’s not just the lead duo carrying the load. Jesse Agler, Tony Gwynn Jr., Bob Scanlan and Mariluz Cook round out a broadcast operation that gives San Diego real depth. Gwynn keeps growing into the role, while Agler and Scanlan help keep the standard high when the lineup shifts.
The Padres still don’t have the championship they really want. But for now, they can claim this one.
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Padres hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. said the issue was as basic as it was costly: Tatis was trying to pull everything, and the contact quality suffered as a result. Once he made the adjustment and stayed inside the ball more often, the loud contact came back in a hurry, and so did the kind of home runs San Diego has been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
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Padres Face Two Tough Roster Calls As Wild Card Pressure Builds
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Several options are already in the mix to take those spots, and each comes with a different kind of appeal. Samad Taylor has begun a rehab assignment after an injury, Miguel Andujar is working his way back from a wrist injury, and Ethan Salas remains a possible September addition, leaving the Padres with more possibility than certainty as they try to balance immediate need with the pressure of the standings. [Read more 🡒]