The long-running MLB content hub Cespedes Family BBQ is on the move again.
After three years doing videos, original reporting and more at Fox Sports, hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman announced on Friday that they are leaving MLB’s top broadcast partner for a new home. They joined Fox in March 2021, which allowed both digital creators to report in-person on the sport full-time for the first time after pit stops at The Ringer and MLB.com.
“We’re very much not done writing/reporting/blabbering about ball and have some cool stuff on the horizon,” the duo wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “More announcements to come.”
SOME NEWS
After 3 years, today is our last day @MLBonFOX.
So very thankful for the folks at Fox Sports who took a chance on developing us as writers back in March of 2021. We've both grown a lot over the last few seasons and are super proud of the work we've produced.
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) February 2, 2024
Céspedes Family BBQ is one of the more unique success stories in sports media. They started a baseball-centered Twitter account and blog while in high school and have grown into among the more well-known chroniclers of the sport.
SiriusXM now oversees the podcast, called Baseball Bar-B-Cast. Judging from their announcement online, it sounds as if that show will continue through the satellite radio giant.
Mintz made headlines covering the 2023 postseason for Fox when he reported on trash talk from Orlando Arcia toward Bryce Harper from Atlanta’s clubhouse during the NLCS. The reporting led to beef between the teams and a messy debate over baseball reporting etiquette.
Independent baseball media has grown substantially in recent years as mainstream coverage of the sport has dwindled. From Jomboy Media to Foul Territory to Just Baseball to even individuals like Foolish Baseball, the popular baseball YouTuber, Mintz and Shusterman are in good company. That also means the pair have many pathways to pursue as they move on from Fox.
It shouldn’t be hard to make money off Céspedes content, here’s hoping a smart sports media brand can do so.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.