All-Star first baseman Yonder Alonso, who last played in the majors with the Colorado Rockies in 2019, is joining MLB Network’s cast of analysts.
The network announced the hiring on Tuesday, noting that Alonso would make his analyst debut during Friday’s edition of Intentional Talk.
“I am beyond thankful to be joining MLB Network’s team, and I can’t thank everybody enough that has helped me get to this point,” said Alonso. “Having just retired, I look forward to having fun and contributing new insights about the game to baseball fans all over the world.”
“We’re thrilled that Yonder has joined MLB Network as he’ll provide a new perspective throughout our programming,” said MLB Network President Rob McGlarry. “As a player who just came off the field and has experienced many different roles throughout his 10 seasons, Yonder will help us remain current in our analysis of this constantly evolving game.”
Alonso, who played for seven teams in his career, spent 2020 with the Braves and Padres, but didn’t play in a game during the pandemic-shortened season. He was an All-Star in 2017 with the A’s, and finished in a tie for sixth for the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year award. He’s apparently spent time working with MLB Network Radio recently (which he’ll continue doing), though I’m not familiar with his work there.
Given his recent retirement from the game, I’m curious about the perspectives that Alonso will bring to the table. Many analysts (across all sports and networks) have been retired for years, and their opinions almost seem outdated when they trot them out. Alonso, who isn’t as removed as the game on the field as those analysts, might be able to bring a more current perspective to things, which I think we’d all be able to appreciate.
