Matt Vasgersian Biography
Matt Vasgersian is a famous American sportscaster and television host. He is a play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels, and also a studio host for MLB Network and FOX Sports. Previously, Vasgerian had worked as an announcer for Fox Sports’ National Football League and Major League Baseball coverage, ESPN’s coverage of Major League Baseball. As well as NBC Sports’ coverage of the Olympic Games, and NBC Sports’ coverage of the original XFL. Vasgerian formerly called play-by-play for the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres.
Matt Vasgerian Education
Vasgersian attended Campolindo High School in Moraga, where he graduated. He then enrolled at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he graduated. At USC, Matt appeared in The New Dating Game, winning a trip to Telluride, Colorado.
Matt Vasgersian Career
Initial baseball work
Matt has served in baseball since 1991, beginning with a six-year tenure in the Minor Leagues as a play-by-play announcer. He started his profession as a sportscaster with the Chicago Cubs Rookie League affiliate in Huntington, West Virginia on radio station WKEE-AM 800. Matt was also the voice of the High Desert Mavericks (San Diego Padres affiliate) on radio station KAPL. He then moved up the minor league baseball ranks over the next several years, working for various clubs in a number of different organizations such as the Syracuse Chiefs in 1995, and ending with the AAA Tucson Toros in 1996.
He was 29 years old when he became the play-by-play voice for the Milwaukee Brewers where he served from 1997 to 2001. Matt then served the same role for the San Diego Padres from 2002 to 2008. He was with the Padres for 7 seasons when it was revealed that he would be joining MLB Network. During a broadcast of the San Diego CIF High School Football Game of the Week on November 1, 2008, Channel 4 revealed that he would not be returning as Padres announcer for the 2009 season, having chosen to pursue other opportunities. Later that week, it was reported that he had signed a contract with MLB Network to become the network’s first studio host.
Fox Sports
In 2006, Matt joined Fox Sports, and until 2008, he worked on Fox NFL telecasts, teaming with J. C. Pearson on the network’s No. 6 broadcast team. In previous years, Matt had done select games for the network. His Fox football resume included calling BCS games for the network, working the Orange Bowl in 2007 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2008 and 2009. Beginning in 2007, he worked on Fox MLB telecasts of the Game of the Week, teaming with a variety of analysts on the network’s No. 3 broadcast crew. He then started hosting the MLB pregame show in 2012, though he still occasionally called games on a fill-in basis.
In 2014, Matt was moved back to the broadcast booth, serving alongside John Smoltz on one of the network’s No. 2 broadcast teams. In this position, Matt and Smoltz worked on postseason telecasts during the Division Series. Together, they called their first World Series for MLB International in 2015. Smoltz then became lead game analyst at Fox in 2016 and Buck Martinez became Matt’s new partner for the international broadcast of the World Series. He then returned to Fox in 2022, where he filled in for Kevin Burkhardt as studio host during the MLB postseason when Kevin was on his NFL assignments.
MLB Network
Matt has been a studio host at MLB Network since its debut on January 1, 2009. He appears regularly in-studio and on-site at the All-Star Game and World Series on MLB Tonight, the network’s Emmy Award-winning live nightly studio show, and also ”Quick Pitch,” ”The Rundown,” the offseason studio show ”Hot Stove,” MLB Network’s Spring Training series 30 Clubs in 30 Days, and MLB Network’s first-ever game show Baseball IQ. Throughout the MLB regular season, he calls play-by-play for the MLB Network Showcase game package. Vasgersian called Game 2 of the 2012 ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland Athletics on October 7.
Vasgersian and Jim Kaat called Game 3 of the 2013 American League Division Series once again between the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland Athletics on October 7 as well. When he hosted Fox’s MLB pregame from 2012 to 2014, Matt did not host programming on MLB Network during the All-Star Game and the postseason. He then became a co-host, alongside Lauren Shehadi and Mark DeRosa, of MLB Network’s show MLB Central, which debuted on April 6, 2015. He was then replaced on that show by Robert Flores and also did commentary for MLB Network’s coverage of the All-Star Game in 2015. MLB Network revealed in April 2022, that he would be the host of a new daytime sports betting show titled Pregame Spread.
ESPN
It was revealed on January 23, 2018, that he would become the new play-by-play voice for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball starting in the 2018 season. He teamed with Alex Rodriguez while continuing his role at MLB Network. He succeeded Dan Shulman, who moved to Sportsnet to call Toronto Blue Jays games for the 2019 season. Shulman still remains with ESPN however. Matt later left ESPN on October 6, 2021, to focus on his other roles with MLB Network and on the Angels’ regional telecasts. His final game for ESPN was the 2021 American League Wild Card Game, where the Red Sox defeated the Yankees.
Los Angeles Angels
On March 11, 2021, it was revealed that Matt would become the new play-by-play voice for the Los Angeles Angels’ telecasts on Bally Sports West. He took over for former broadcaster Victor Rojas who left to pursue a front-office career. Vasgersian joined a three-man booth alongside Jose Mota and Mark Gibicza while continuing his roles on MLB Network. Daron Sutton was picked as the backup play-by-play announcer for games Matt was unable to call because of his obligations to the national networks. Sutton was then replaced by Rich Waltz as Matt’s backup midway through the 2021 season.
Vasgersian went back to the Angels’ booth for the 2022 season together with Gibicza and new sideline reporter Erica Weston with more availability due to his October 2021 exit from ESPN. Due to this, Waltz was relieved of his secondary play-by-play duties, and Angels Live host Patrick O’Neal called games in Matt’s future MLB Network-related absences. Vasgersian called most of his Angels broadcasts remotely from the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey as he did in 2021. For the 2023 season, he was replaced as lead play-by-play commentator by Wayne Randazzo, with him being demoted to a secondary play-by-play position.
Other Ventures
He first gained national exposure doing play-by-play for the XFL in 2001. His tenure with the league was tense. After the inaugural telecast in which he quipped, ”I feel uncomfortable” following a suggestive shot of the cheerleaders, Vince McMahon personally demoted Matt and replaced him with wrestling announcer and former Atlanta Falcons play-by-play man Jim Ross. At NBC’s behest, he returned to the first team broadcast halfway through the season. Vasgersian has hosted several TV shows, such as the game show Sports Geniuses (2000), Game Show Network’s World Series of Blackjack (2004), and Celebrity Blackjack (2004). He has also hosted the National Heads-Up Poker Championship on NBC and the first season grand final of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. Matt has also emceed various sports and other programs including the International World Championships of Rock Paper Scissors (2004).
Vasgersian called USC Trojans men’s basketball for FSN West from 2004 to 2006. He has also worked on an Ultimate Fighting Championship broadcast filling in for Mike Goldberg, the usual announcer. Mike was working on Fox Sports Net’s college football telecast on the night of UFC 56, so Matt provided play-by-play together with regular color commentator Joe Rogan. He was then the commentator in every installment of MLB: The Show since its debut in 2006 until his last appearance in MLB The Show 21. Matt served alongside Dave Campbell, Eric Karros, Rex Hudler, Steve Lyons, Harold Reynolds, Dan Plesac, and Mark DeRosa.
Away from television
Aside from his work on MLB: The Show, Matt was the ”host” for several PS1 Sony sports titles in the late 1990s and early 2000s, specifically for 989 Studios sports games. He has also contributed to NBC Sports’ coverage of several Olympic Games, calling baseball and softball in the 2004 Summer Games. Matt also covered ski jumping in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Games and freestyle skiing in the 2014 Winter Games. He then hosted the 2008 Summer Games coverage on USA Network.
Vasgersian is a regular featured commentator on the Dave & Carole morning show on WKLH 96.5 FM in Milwaukee. Matt’s affiliation with the Dave and Carole Morning Show led him to a side career in music as he performed regularly as a lead vocalist with kb’smidlifecrisi, a rock band fronted by Dave and Carole’s sidekick Kevin ”KB” Brandt. From 2012 to 2014, Vasgersian was also the host of the MLB on Fox pregame show, prior to being replaced by Kevin Burkhardt following the 2013 season. He is also a recurring satirical commentator for Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year. Matt is the play-by-play voice for MLB Internationa replacing Gary Thorne starting with the 2015 MLB All-Star Game and the World Series for Canadian and overseas fans.
Matt Vasgersian Age
Vasgersian is 55 years old as of 2022, born on September 28, 1967, in Berkeley, California, U.S. He celebrates his birthday on the 28th of September every year and his zodiac sign is Libra.
Matt Vasgersian Height
Vasgersian stands at an approximate height of 6 feet 1 inch (Approx. 1.85 meters) tall.
Matt Vasgersian Family
Vasgersian was born in Berkeley, Alameda County, California to Ed Vasgersian and his partner. His father was a famous actor and is of Armenian descent. He has managed to keep information about his family and parents away from the limelight. It is also not known if Matt has any siblings.
Matt Vasgersian Wife
Vasgersian is currently married to his beautiful and supportive wife Kimberly Craig, whom he married in 2013. Craig is a senior manager of Studio Operations at MLB Network and also a studio host. The couple is happily married, resides in New Jersey, and has three children, two daughters from Craig’s previous marriage and a son named Luke, born in 2014 in their marriage together.
Matt Vasgersian Net Worth
Vasgersian has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million which he/she has earned through being a sportscaster and TV host.
Matt Vasgersian Salary
Vasgersian earns an annual salary ranging between $31,500 – $ 100,500.