The Washington Nationals have announced its 2026 broadcast team in the inaugural season of Nationals.TV
The Washington Nationals will have a bit of a different look to it in 2026 than it has ever since they arrived in Washington after news broke earlier this month that the team is set to join MLB’s TV umbrella for the inaugural season of Nationals.TV. And with the move set to materialize officially in February, the team announced its new TV broadcasters for the 2026 season.
The team that Dan Kolko is set to take over as the play-by-play announcer with Kevin Frandsen as an analyst and Alexa Datt as the new sideline host and reporter.
“I’m excited about the lineup of television broadcasters coming to Nationals.TV this season,” said Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner via release. “It’s been a privilege to watch Dan Kolko grow throughout his time covering the organization, and I’m so proud of the work he’s put in to earn this position. I know he and Kevin will continue to have a great rapport in the booth, entertaining and educating our viewers, and I know our fans are going to love having Alexa in the mix as a host and reporter. We’re incredibly happy to welcome her back home.”
Kolko fills the role left by Bob Carpenter’s retirement, though he’s someone fans are already plenty familiar with given he has worked at MASN since 2012 and become an integral part of the team’s in-season coverage since. Kolko previously served as a sideline reporter before drawing increasing opportunities at play-by-play announcing in recent years. And with the changes across the Nationals’ beat and broadcasting, Kolko adds familiarity to the start of the Paul Toboni era. A native of Silver Spring, Md., Kolko earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Delaware.
Frandsen, who spent one season with the Nationals in 2014, has been with the MASN broadcast team and provided color commentary for Nationals TV coverage since 2022. This will mark his fifth season with the organization after shifting to broadcasting from his nine year playing career with the San Francisco Giants (2006-09, 2015), Los Angeles Angels (2010) and Philadelphia Phillies (2012-13). Frandsen also previously served as a part-time color analyst for the Philadelphia Phillies for four seasons beginning in 2018.
Datt also returns closer to home in her new role as host and reporter as the Derwood, Md. native, along with both Magruder High School and University of Maryland graduate, returns to the area for her first season with the Washington Nationals. Datt joins the organization after previously serving as an on-air host for FanDuel Sports Network Midwest where she covered both the St. Louis Blues and Cardinals. She also previously spent over five seasons with Major League Baseball hosting several shots, including The Rundown, The Cycle and The Dugout, while also spending three years as host of On the Fly with the NHL. Datt also spent time as a sideline reporter for Rutgers, was an associate producer at Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and a video host for Bleacher Report. Datt served seven years with SportsNet New York covering the Mets along with a two-year stint as an A-10 sideline reporter, along with three years as an in-stadium host and reporter for the New York Mets. News of her arrival was announced shortly after the news broke that the Nationals were indeed leaving MASN.