Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw was the star of the show on the Opening Day NBC broadcast, delivering with great analysis throughout the game.
The NBC broadcast, compared to the Netflix broadcast, was much more put together, with clear chemistry and plenty of thoughtful breakdowns of what happened on the field.
Rather than making a spectacle of baseball, the crew of Jason Benetti, former players Luis Gonzalez and Orel Hershiser, and Kershaw all took turns explaining what was happening in the game between the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kershaw was positioned right next to the Dodgers’ dugout, getting a look from right behind the plate. He was able to interact with some of the Dodgers players during the broadcast, while getting a good angle of the play.
Breakdown of Clayton Kershaw’s analysis
Right before the game, Kershaw sat with NBC’s Bob Costas to give a broad look at the Dodgers’ upcoming season, detailing what the team will need to do to achieve a three-peat.
As an analyst, I know there is a good deal of pregame work required, and while Kershaw was not at his best early on, he was only settling into a full performance.
Kershaw’s shining moment came right before the first pitch, when starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto was getting warmed up, and the former Dodger was allowed to explain what makes the Japanese ace so great.
He offered details about his preparation, referencing his javelin work among other unique workouts, while celebrating his World Series contributions in 2025.
In the third inning, Freddie Freeman had a defensive gem, reaching up high to save a run from being added on the board, and Kershaw used the moment to chime in and describe the first baseman as “seven foot tall.”
During Andy Pages’ home run, Kershaw explained what the D-Backs pitcher was likely trying to throw, while pointing out how impressive a hit that was from the Dodgers outfield.
As a former pitcher, it is natural that he tends to offer better pitching analysis, but he knows a good deal about hits, since he managed to give them up every now and then.
There were moments when Kershaw seemed to call pitches and approaches before they happened, similar to NFL Analyst Tony Romo, who used to play quarterback, correctly guessing what offensive plays were being called.
He offered quite a unique analysis, one that could revolutionize broadcasts as more long-time veterans are added to MLB programming on the pitching side.
