Paul Severino is the new play-by-play voice of the Marlins

Just in time for Marlins FanFest (and spring training games), FOX Sports Florida has found its TV play-by-play announcer: MLB Network’s Paul Severino.

“I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to live out my dream as the voice of a Major League team,” Severino said in the official announcement.

The Bristol, Connecticut native emerges from a crowded field of finalists. As SiriusXM’s Craig Mish reported, Scott Braun, Jesse Agler, Jeff Levering and Jose Mota were all originally candidates for the gig, too. FSFL’s own Craig Minervini also auditioned. The network confirmed that he’ll remain in his usual role as host of Marlins Live.

Most of Severino’s experience has been studio work, though he was on the call for various MLB Network broadcasts. Here are a couple examples from him in 2017, alongside Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz:

Earlier that same year, Severino covered the opening round of the World Baseball Classic:

Ultimately, it took more than two months to fill the void left by the dismissal of Rich Waltz. We already expressed some views on that decision when the news broke in late November.

For what it’s worth, Severino was quick to publicly share his excitement.

Fans typically want continuity when it comes to the play-by-play role. FOX Sports Florida expects Severino and Todd Hollandsworth to be in the booth for every game carried by the network.

Don’t be fooled by the hair line: Severino is only 34 years old. There’s no reason why he can’t last through the current rebuild and stick around once the talent arrives to lead the Marlins back to compelling, pennant-chase action.