Six years ago tomorrow, FOX Sports and the Padres hooked up and made a little bundle of joy that they named FOX Sports San Diego, also known (for purposes of not wearing down my keyboard) as FSSD. FSSD took over the Padres television broadcasts from COX Channel 4SD (RIP) and the Padres haven’t looked back since. Except for 1998. They look back at that year all the time.

In an effort to preview the 2018 season, The Kept Faith is taking a look at the various methods one can consume Padres baseball without actually going to Petco Park. William showed us how someone who isn’t living in San Diego handles it, now I’m going to give you an overview of the expected television experience for 2018.

Let’s start with the schedule. 161 regular season games will be televised on FSSD, with the March 31st game coming to us via FS1. All of those games will also be available on the FOX Sports GO app, which is really convenient if you’re not anywhere near a TV. The broadcast schedule could change during the season, however, so check before you start yelling at me when it’s on FOX or FS1 unexpectedly. FOX Deportes San Diego will also televise all home games in Spanish in 2018, which is available on COX in San Diego (and Las Vegas, apparently).

Don Orsillo returns to handle the television play-by-play duties. Orsillo came to San Diego in 2016 from Boston, where he was the Red Sox’ TV play-by-play announcer from 2001-15.

Mark Grant is back again to take on in-game color analysis. The former Padres pitcher & frozen yogurt enthusiast has been a color analyst for the team since 1997.

Bob Scanlan will again be swinging in with reports from the dugout this season. The former pitcher has had various roles with the Padres broadcast since his retirement from baseball in 2001; as a pre- & postgame host with Channel 4SD, a color analyst on radio, and a one-year stint as a Padres “multimedia analyst” in 2016.

Mike Pomeranz and Mark Sweeney will round out the FSSD broadcast team on Padres Live pre- and postgame shows, with Tony Gwynn Jr. filling in as needed. Pomeranz came to San Diego in 2012 from Minneapolis, where he was a news anchor for KARE. Two-time former Padre Sweeney is also featured on FOX and FS1 MLB broadcasts as a studio analyst. Former Padre Gwynn Jr. fills in for Sweeney & Grant when needed, if it doesn’t conflict with his similar job on the radio broadcast team.

Returning to the booth for FOX Deportes San Diego will be Spanish-language voice of the Padres, Eduardo Ortega and former Padres catcher Carlos Hernandez. Ortega has been the Spanish-language play-by-play announcer for the Padres since 1987 and also does MLB postseason work for ESPN Deportes. Hernandez started working with Ortega in 2012.

Regular season coverage begins — as always — on Opening Day, Thursday, March 29, against the Milwaukee Brewers. Coverage will begin at 11:30AM with a 90-minute Padres Live pregame show leading into the game. Coverage concludes with a 30-minute Padres Live postgame show.

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Padres POV host Michelle Margaux has moved on to take a dugout reporter role with sister network FOX Sports Sun and the Tampa Bay Rays. Margaux joins the long list of former FSSD on-air talent that have moved on to bigger and better things. However, there’s nothing to fear, Padres POV fans. I have it on good authority (#sources) that it will return this season with a new, as-yet-unnamed host (Don’t worry, it’s not me).

There you have it. Pretty much all you need to know about watching the Padres on television this season.

Let’s go Padres and have some baseball fun.