NBC has reportedly landed its first former player to be an analyst for their Major League Baseball coverage, as Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal reports that former Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has signed on to be a lead analyst for the network’s studio coverage.
Rizzo, who officially retired in September but had not played since the Yankees’ loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series, played 14 seasons in the big leagues. At the conclusion of his playing career, he worked as a guest analyst for TBS during the 2025 postseason.
Another first baseman appears to also be close to joining the network in a similar capacity, as Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports says former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto is also close to a deal to join NBC. Votto last played in the big leagues in 2023, spending 2024 in the minor leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays. McCarthy reports that Votto is considered the top television prospect of the former players targeted by NBC, Netflix, and ESPN. Votto has not done television since his retirement, but is well known for his charisma on-camera, famously “feuding” with SiriusXM host and ESPN pundit Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo on Russo’s MLB Network show High Heat.
Kershaw’s Role With NBC Now Expected To Be Limited
One of the first names heard to be joining NBC for their baseball coverage may not be doing as much work as originally expected. Former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been mentioned as being a part of the upcoming season, but now Karp says the left-hander will only be doing “a couple of weeks work.” He also said Kershaw could also be paired with Bob Costas as part of his role.
NBC also has not yet announced who will be doing play-by-play for their broadcasts, with Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti and Orioles TV man Kevin Brown being the two names most insiders say are the finalists for the job. However, Karp says Benetti’s current contract with Fox runs into the summer.
