Alex Rodriguez is joining ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast as an analyst. Matt Vasgersian is also on board to do play by play. Both men agreed to multi-year deals with ESPN. Rodriguez and Vasgersian will appear alongside analyst Jessica Mendoza, with Buster Olney reporting.
Vasgersian follows Jon Miller and Dan Shulman as the voice of Sunday Night Baseball, which is entering its 29th season. Shulman stepped away after last season with hopes of attaining a better work-life balance.
The Sunday Night Baseball team debuts Thursday, March 29, for the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants game. The team will then call the first official Sunday Night Baseball telecast of the season April 1, also Dodgers versus Giants.
Rodriguez was a 14-time all-star in Major League Baseball, and also had his share of PED stumbles. He will continue be a studio analyst for Fox Sports during the MLB postseason, while Vasgersian will continue his role as a studio host and announcer at MLB Network.
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Rodriguez replaces Aaron Boone on the Sunday telecast. Boone was named Yankees manager.
“Alex is one of the most recognizable personalities in all of sports, and he’s made a well-documented impact on the sports media landscape,” said Stephanie Druley, ESPN senior VP, events and studio production. “His dynamic personality and incredible baseball knowledge, combined with Matt Vasgersian’s expertise, enthusiasm and poise, make for terrific additions to Sunday Night Baseball, with existing commentators Jessica Mendoza and Buster Olney. We’re excited about the potential for this team and we’re appreciative to our MLB Network and Fox Sports counterparts, as all parties were more than willing to collaborate in order to serve Major League Baseball fans.”
Rodriguez will also appear in several ESPN specials, and will be an executive producer of them.
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my broadcasting career,” he said. “It’s an exciting time in baseball and now I get that front row seat to tell that story every Sunday night on ESPN as well as calling my fourth post season on Fox where I started this journey.”
