NBC Sports has announced that recently retired MLB stars Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Votto will serve as pregame analysts for its 2026 Major League Baseball broadcasts. The trio will contribute to coverage of the Wild Card round and select Sunday Night Baseball games. The announcement came during the Super Bowl pregame show on February 8, 2026.
NBC Sports revealed on February 8, 2026, during its Super Bowl pregame show, that Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Votto have joined its Major League Baseball coverage team. The three former players, all recently retired, will act as pregame analysts for the exclusive Wild Card round postseason games on NBC and Peacock. Depending on their availability, they will also appear on select pregame shows ahead of regular-season Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts, hosted by Bob Costas and Ahmed Fareed.
"We’re excited to welcome Clayton, Anthony and Joey, three stars right off the field who can provide fresh perspective on the players, teams, and everything that makes baseball special," said Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President of Production for NBC Sports. "We look forward to rolling out some new concepts to take advantage of the unique insights of each analyst, beginning on Opening Day."
Kershaw retired after the 2025 season, capping his 18-year career with a third World Series title alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-handed pitcher finished with a 223-96 record, a .699 winning percentage—third best in MLB history among pitchers with at least 100 decisions—and over 3,000 strikeouts. He earned 11 All-Star selections, three Cy Young Awards, the 2014 National League MVP and a no-hitter that year, while leading the NL in ERA five times.
Rizzo, a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, retired in September 2025 following his final game in the 2024 World Series with the New York Yankees. Best remembered for catching the final out of the 2016 World Series for the Chicago Cubs—ending their 108-year drought—he hit .360 in that series and received the Platinum Glove as the NL's top defensive player. Over 14 seasons with the San Diego Padres, Cubs and Yankees, he hit 303 home runs and had four 100-RBI seasons; he is also a Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor and 2017 Roberto Clemente Award recipient.
Votto announced his retirement in August 2024 while with the Toronto Blue Jays, after spending 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. A six-time All-Star, 2010 NL MVP and 2011 Gold Glove first baseman, the Toronto native posted a .294 batting average, 356 home runs and led the NL in on-base percentage seven times, helping the Reds to four postseasons.
This addition bolsters NBC's MLB return under a three-year rights deal announced in November 2025. Coverage begins March 26, 2026, with a doubleheader: the Pittsburgh Pirates visiting the New York Mets at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the Dodgers hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Sunday Night Baseball debuts March 29 with the Seattle Mariners hosting the Cleveland Guardians.
