Kevin Frandsen Replaces F.P. Santangelo As Color Commentator For Nationals Games

WASHINGTON, DC — After saying “see you later” to F.P. Santangelo at the end of the 2021 Major League Baseball season, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network announced Thursday that it has hired former Washington Nationals player Kevin Frandsen as the network’s color commentator for Nationals television coverage.

Frandsen joins the MASN booth with long-time play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter after four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies radio broadcast.

Frandsen was a member of Washington’s 2014 National League East Division championship team during his Major League playing career, which also included stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

“Thrilled is an understatement to describe the way I feel right now,” Frandsen said in a statement Thursday. “I’d like to thank MASN and the Lerner family for this tremendous opportunity. … I’m so excited to work with Bob Carpenter and bring games to the incredibly knowledgeable and passionate Nationals fan base. I cannot wait to get started.”

MASN did not renew its contract with Santangelo, who had served 11 seasons as the network’s color analyst. Known for his “there goes the no-hitter” comment every time the Nationals got their first hit of a game, Santangelo’s arrival in D.C. from San Francisco coincided with the team’s first visit to the playoffs.

Santangelo also announced several no-hitters and was part of the Baby Shark mania of 2019 when the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros to win the franchise's first World Series.

Santangelo was absent from the broadcast booth for more than two months during the 2021 season, after he was accused of sexual misconduct in an anonymous Instagram post. He returned to broadcasting in July after a Major League Baseball investigation could not corroborate the allegations against him, the Washington Post reported.

Carpenter will be returning for his 17th season with MASN and the Nationals, and his 39th in Major League Baseball. Dan Kolko will be returning to MASN for his 11th season covering the Nationals with the title of Nationals Broadcaster.

The popular Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler duo will continue doing play-by-play in the radio booth for Nationals games.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Washington Nationals organization, we would like to welcome Kevin Frandsen back to Washington, D.C.,” Mark Lerner, managing principal owner of the Nationals, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Kevin join an excellent group of returning broadcasters, as we are happy to welcome back Bob, Charlie, Dave and Dan on television and radio.”

Whether there will be baseball games for Frandsen to analyze in April remains to be seen. Players usually report to spring training in late February, but the owners have locked out the players over the lack of a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement.