BREAKING
Mendoza will remain with ESPN (John Rieger - USA Today Sports)
Mendoza will remain with ESPN (John Rieger - USA Today Sports)

Jessica Mendoza out at ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball"


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ESPN today announced it has signed its trailblazing analyst Jessica Mendoza to a multi-year extension. As part of a new role with a collection of new assignments, the Olympic gold and silver medalist will become the first woman to serve as a solo analyst for a national package of Major League Baseball game telecasts, including appearances on ESPN’s season-opening coverage, weeknight games and holiday baseball.

Her first game assignment of 2020 is ESPN’s March 2 spring training telecast when the Chicago Cubs host the Los Angeles Angels. Her first regular season game this year is March 30.

Mendoza will also become the first woman to serve as a World Series game analyst on national radio by joining ESPN Radio’s broadcast team this season. The World Series role is part of her new package of MLB Postseason broadcasts.

Additionally, Mendoza will add a significant MLB studio presence to her overall role, regularly appearing on SportsCenter, Get Up, First Take, Baseball Tonight and other news and information programming. She will appear in studio March 26-27 as the MLB season starts. She will also contribute features on a variety of sports to ESPN’s E:60 and SportsCenter.

Jessica Mendoza:

“I’ve always prioritized my growth and these new opportunities will allow me to expand my broadcasting career while challenging me at the same time. From calling MLB games on television and radio, to extensive studio work and features, I’m excited about everything that lies ahead. Some of the best memories of my career have been with Sunday Night Baseball and I will miss my time with our amazing crew, who have been like family. I’m grateful to ESPN for continuing to commit to me and I can’t wait for the season to get started.”

Mendoza will continue to serve as the lead analyst for ESPN’s coverage of the Women’s College World Series this summer, which is an event she has covered since 2007. She will also serve as an on-site reporter at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo providing softball and baseball coverage.

Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production:

“We are proud that Jessica, one of our most talented and recognizable commentators, will continue blazing new trails with ESPN for several years to come. Jessica will maintain her leadership position within our MLB property calling games on television and radio, plus extensive studio work, as we continue to reimagine our overall MLB coverage offerings. We know Jessica will thrive in this expanded role filled with new high-profile assignments.”

Mendoza had previously served as a Sunday Night Baseball analyst since August 30, 2015 and became the second-longest tenured analyst in Sunday Night Baseball history, behind Joe Morgan. On October 6, 2015, she became the first woman to call a nationally televised MLB Postseason Game as the analyst for ESPN’s MLB Wild Card telecast.

She joined ESPN as a softball analyst and college football sideline reporter in 2007 before becoming an MLB analyst in 2015. Mendoza is a softball cross-category record-holder at Stanford University and helped lead Team U.S.A. to Olympic gold and silver medals on her way to becoming widely recognized as one of the all-time great softball players.

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