Fans tuning into MLB on Fox broadcasts this season looking for Derek Jeter won’t see him each week. In fact, you’ll only get two shots during the entire regular season to see him.
Per the New York Post, Jeter will only work in Fox’s studio during the June London series (Fox will air one game, ESPN will air the other), July’s All-Star Game (which takes places a little over two weeks after the London games), and during the Postseason in October.
Fox announced Jeter’s hiring during their marathon Super Bowl pregame coverage earlier this month.
I’m not exactly shocked that Jeter won’t be working random Saturday games in the Fox studio, but him only getting two days of on-air studio reps before the playoffs seems like an unwise decision. The Postseason is a big stage for baseball, and Fox must be confident in Jeter’s abilities as an analyst if they’re willing to throw him into the deep end with so little experience.
The Post also reports that the addition of Jeter could squeeze Frank Thomas out of Fox’s MLB coverage. Thomas has been with Fox since 2014, and has been a fixture on the network’s MLB studio coverage since. Bumping him out just so Jeter can work a full October schedule would be an odd choice, given the six-month regular season loaded with appearances from Thomas.
