Reds radio booth slapped with ugly ranking that fans will find insulting

When Marty Brennaman left the Cincinnati Reds radio booth following the 2019 season, there were some big shoes to fill. Brennaman was a Hall of Fame broadcaster with numerous memorable calls over the years, and an sharp and honest opinion that many fans throughout Reds Country came to love.

But Tommy Thrall has done an excellent job filling in for Brennaman since his departure, and the Cincinnati faithful have embraced the new voice of Reds baseball. Awful Announcing's 2025 MLB local radio booth rankings, however, paint a different picture.

Thrall and the Reds radio broadcast rank 19th out of all 30 Major League teams. Obviously this is subjective, and many different characteristics and critiques go into evaluating a team's radio broadcast, but Reds fans would undoubtedly point out that you'd be hard-pressed to find a better duo than Thrall and "The Cowboy" Jeff Brantley behind the microphone.

Reds radio booth shamefully ranked 19th out of all 30 MLB teams

Awful Announcing uses a typical grading scale (A,B,C,D, and F), and Cincinnati's radio broadcast most commonly received a C grade (42.1%). The Reds broadcast team obtained mostly positive reviews overall, with more than 75% of the votes giving Thrall and Co. an C grade or higher. The San Francisco Giants ranked No. 1 with Jon Miller and Dave Fleming on the call out west, and few fans are likely to squabble over that.

Interestingly enough, the comments toward Thrall were overwhelming positive, but Brantley received a lot of criticism. Given his longstanding relationship — and honest opinion — it seems odd that anyone within the Reds fanbase would view The Cowboy in a negative light.

It's noteworthy, however, that Brantley has taken a backseat to broadcasting radio while on the road, and Chris Welsh has manned the booth alongside Thrall when the Reds are away from Great American Ball Park. Welsh and Brantley have effectively switched places, with The Cowboy now taking on a bigger role on the television-side of things while the Reds are on the road.

The Reds' radio ranking is an increase from the television crew of John Sadak, Barry Larkin, Jim Day, and Welsh. Cincinnati's TV crew on FanDuel Sports Network ranked 21st among all MLB teams earlier this year.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors