Jessica Mendoza, ESPN Agree to Multi-Year Deal
By Kyle Koster
ESPN and Jessica Mendoza have agreed upon a multi-year extension that will keep the baseball analyst in the network’s marquee booth for the foreseeable future. Back in 2015, Mendoza became the first woman to work a national television game as a color commentator. She remained in the Sunday Night Baseball booth as ESPN did a gut rehab with Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez.
The network announced she’ll be doing Baseball Tonight and appearing more regularly on SportsCenter and Get Up.
It’s interesting that ESPN is once again keeping Mendoza as a constant in the face of significant SNB changes. Earlier this week, the AP reported the broadcast will be moved up an hour, to 7 p.m. EST, this year.
A big-name booth didn’t equal ratings gold last year, and critics weren’t in love with the product. Personally, I’d love for Mendoza to get more time on the microphone to shine. Considering the way Rodriguez dominates the discussion, I’m not holding my breath.