Karl Ravech grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, and attended Needham High School. A guidance counselor encouraged him to combine his interests in sports, writing, and communication, steering him toward broadcasting rather than a career on the field. He earned a communications degree from Ithaca College in 1987, working as a sports director in Ithaca and a freelance producer at WCVB-TV in Boston while still a student. He later added a master’s degree in management and leadership from Binghamton University in 1990.

Ravech anchored sports for WBNG-TV in Binghamton and WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, earning local Sports Emmy nominations in 1990 and 1991. He then joined ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor in 1993. He later took over as primary host of Baseball Tonight, a role he held for around 27 years. In 1998, a heart attack at age 33 prompted him to overhaul his diet and take up daily running.

Karl Ravech expanded into play-by-play duties in 2013, and became the lead voice of Sunday Night Baseball in 2022. He has also called the Home Run Derby, Little League World Series, and College World Series for the network. In July 2026, he was let go as part of a company-wide round of layoffs, ending a 33-year run at ESPN.