Legendary Yankees announcer John Sterling passes away at 87

The longtime and iconic New York Yankees announcer John Sterling has died. The broadcasting legend was 87 years old at the time of his death.

WFAN paid homage to the legend, writing, “We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom.”

Further details surrounding his passing have not been shared. His death comes a few months after he reportedly suffered a heart attack in January 2026.

John Sterling’s career with the Yankees before his death

Sterling is best known for his work as the play-by-play announcer of the Yankees. He had a legendary streak of calling over 5,000 consecutive games from 1989 to 2019.

He was born and raised in New York, making him a perfect fit as the voice of the Yankees. Before his time with the Yankees, he began his broadcasting career in Baltimore.

Originally, Sterling was the play-by-play announcer for the then-Baltimore Bullets, who have since become the Washington Wizards. He also did play-by-play work for Morgan State University football before his return to New York.

His portfolio expanded even further with stints with WMCA and as the radio voice of other New York sports teams, the Raiders, the Stars, and the Islanders.

Before becoming the voice of the Yankees, Sterling also had a nine-year stay in Atlanta, Georgia. During that stretch, he did radio work for Atlanta’s biggest teams, the Braves and Hawks.

Sterling’s lengthy streak of calling games for the Yankees was snapped on July 7, 2019. However, he did call the entirety of Derek Jeter’s career and continued working into the 2020s, albeit in a scaled-back role.

On Oct. 30, 2024, Sterling called his final game. It was Game 5 of the World Series between the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, which New York lost.

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