3 Candidates to Replace John Schriffen as White Sox Broadcaster

With the Chicago White Sox moving on from play-by-play announcer John Schriffen, the search is now on for his replacement and the next voice of White Sox baseball.

It's important that the White Sox get this one right. It's hard to live up to the legend of Hawk Harrelson or the popularity of Jason Benetti. But as we enter what could be a golden era of White Sox baseball, with the team heading into seasons that should feature a competitive and contending roster, it's important for the White Sox to deliver a palatable and enjoyable broadcast experience to fans on CHSN.

The ideal candidate, in my opinion, would be someone with experience calling Major League Baseball games. Someone with a strong understanding of Chicago sports, or the White Sox specifically. And there are a few candidates who immediately jump out as potential hires.

Wayne Randazzo, 42, may be my favorite candidate of all. He's a Chicago-area native who grew up in St. Charles, Illinois, attended North Central College in Naperville, and spent years working in sports throughout the Chicagoland area.

He called Kane County Cougars games, softball for the Big Ten Network, and was a radio host for 670 The Score. He's also a former White Sox pregame and postgame radio host.

Randazzo went on to do radio play-by-play for the New York Mets before becoming the television play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the 2023 season.

He continues to call MLB games for Apple TV+, while occasionally doing Chicago Bulls games for CHSN.

He has it all. Experience calling Major League Baseball games, familiarity with the White Sox organization, and ties to the city of Chicago that would immediately make him a welcome addition to the White Sox family.

There may be some obstacles here, as the details of his contract with the Angels aren't publicly known. It's hard to say if Randazzo would even have interest in the job. But this is a well-respected broadcaster with plenty of iconic signature calls and everything necessary to succeed as the voice of the White Sox.

Connor McKnight is the in-house option that would make a lot of sense. He's currently the White Sox team insider and field reporter for CHSN, and he's filled in for John Schriffen on play-by-play duties plenty of times.

In total, McKnight has called more than 100 White Sox games across both television and radio platforms. He's also been a member of Chicago sports media since 2009 and was one of three finalists for the television play-by-play job in 2024 before Schriffen was hired.

Like Randazzo, McKnight is a Chicago-area native.

The big selling point here would be continuity. McKnight already has experience in the booth alongside Steve Stone, and the White Sox wouldn't need to introduce a completely unfamiliar voice to their audience. That would make for a relatively seamless transition.

He doesn't have the extensive résumé of Randazzo, nor is he quite as polished of a play-by-play voice. But there's plenty of potential here and reason to believe McKnight would excel in the role as he gains more experience.

He has far more experience today than he did when he was up for the job in 2024. That makes him an even more compelling candidate who could ultimately land the job.

For my final candidate, I'm going a little bit outside the box with ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Mike Monaco, who also serves as a part-time broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox.

Monaco isn't a Chicago native. He's from Massachusetts. But he brings plenty of experience across multiple levels of baseball. The Notre Dame graduate spent seven years calling minor league games before joining ESPN in 2019, where he has covered numerous sports.

In 2026, Monaco began calling Boston Red Sox games as a fill-in broadcaster while maintaining his national responsibilities with ESPN. But he also has experience with the White Sox.

Back in 2021, Monaco filled in for Jason Benetti when Benetti was sidelined by COVID-19. His performance was very well received at the time, including by Steve Stone. Stone was particularly complimentary of Monaco's potential, comparing him to a promising investment whose value would only increase over time.

Monaco was originally considered a favorite to replace Benetti, but withdrew from consideration because of his ESPN commitments before the eventual hiring of Schriffen.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Monaco signed a three-year extension with ESPN in late 2023, creating scheduling conflicts that prevented him from pursuing the White Sox job. That contract is particularly relevant now, as a three-year agreement signed in late 2023 would ordinarily run through late 2026.

While the exact expiration date and any subsequent extension haven't been confirmed, it's possible that Monaco could have flexibility entering 2027 that he didn't have during the previous search.

This is a very well-respected baseball voice, one who has already impressed Steve Stone and would likely fit well alongside him in the broadcast booth.

He may not have the same local flavor as Randazzo or McKnight, but I do think Monaco would be a home run hire for the White Sox and would immediately give them one of the most talented broadcast booths in the sport.