Padres thankful for Red Sox gifting San Diego with star (but not the one you think)

After ranking first place in Awful Announcing's annual MLB Broadcaster rankings, the San Diego Padres can thank the Boston Red Sox for their most unsung star.

No, it's not Nick Pivetta, though he has been a tremendous addition to the Padres' rotation. It isn't Xander Bogaerts either, though he has been heating up over the past month. It's San Diego Padres announcer Don Orsillo.

At this point, Orsillo is part of the Padres experience. He brings a perfect mix of energy, humor and professionalism to every game he calls. He's beloved by the fans and appreciated by his team, who extended him ahead of the 2025 season.

Don Orsillo is beloved by Padres fans just as much as the team's star players

The play-by-play announcer spent 15 seasons working for NESN calling Boston Red Sox baseball. His contract was not renewed after the 2015 season, leading to Orsillo's move to San Diego, where he has been broadcasting for the Padres ever since.

The move appears to have paid off well for Orsillo. According to Awful Announcing, 65 commenters used the terms "best" or "GOAT" when describing their appreciation for Orsillo and his partner, Mark Grant. Almost 70% of fans voted to give them a grade of A.

The Red Sox also ranked favorably, barely missing out on the top ten with their 11th-place score. Dave O'Brien, the man who replaced Orsillo on play-by-play in 2016, is still calling games for Boston ten years later.

Awful Announcing noted that while there were some positive comments about O'Brien, there were also plenty of fans who still prefer Orsillo ten years later.

“If you had AI create a baseball announcer, it would spit out Obie," read one of the comments.

He was also called boring and lacking in personality. Many of the commenters expressed that they were disappointed that Orsillo was replaced.

Padres CEO Erik Greupner has expressed his hope that Orsillo will stay in San Diego until his retirement.

“We’d like to see him end his career here in San Diego," said Greupner after extending Orsillo ahead of the 2025 season.

All things considered, it looks like a steal for San Diego. The Padres walked away with the highest-ranked broadcast team in the league, and Boston downgraded to a play-caller with less personality. San Diego can thank Boston for giving them their biggest unsung star.