Ahead of Opening Day for the baseball season, MLB Network has revealed that it will be debuting two new weekly podcast shows airing on linear television and distributed through digital platforms. The shows will lead into afternoon baseball on the league-owned broadcast entity and air consecutively on Sundays starting on March 30 at 11 a.m. EST. Personalities from across MLB Network will take part in these multiplatform projects that will further enhance the overall programming lineup. Both shows will make their debut coinciding with MLB Network “Baseball Eve” on Wednesday, March 26 starting at 1 p.m. EST.
Multifaceted host Lauren Gardner and former major-league first baseman and outfielder Xavier Scruggs will take the air for the Off Base Podcast, expanding the brand that first launched as a linear daily program in 2022. The duo will offer their perspectives on events that took place around the league throughout the week, addressing topics related to on-field play, pop culture and fashion among others.
“From its inception, Off Base has felt like a family for all involved,” Gardner said in a statement. “We love bringing the fan perspective to the show while connecting with the players on their level. This project is my dream come true.
“I want Off Base Podcast to be the bridge between the generational gap in our pastime,” Scruggs said in a statement. “A place where longtime fans of the game unite with new media and modern enthusiasts of baseball.”
In addition to this new offering, the MLB Network Podcast will make its return to the airwaves and feature insightful interviews from those around the baseball domain, including current players, former stars, Hall of Fame members and celebrity fans. A variety of MLB Network broadcasters are going to host the show, starting with play-by-play announcer and studio host Matt Vasgersian for the March 26 debut episode.
“The MLB Network Podcast gives us and our guests a little bit more of a canvas to tell stories at a more natural pace,” Vasgersian said in a statement. “It gives us an opportunity to throw out any preconceived ideas on where to take the next question, and it turns into as all good podcasts do, more of a warm visit compared to a structured interview.”
The new projects at MLB Network occur following the cancellation of High Heat in the daily programming lineup after an 11-year run hosted by Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo. Earlier in the offseason, the broadcast entity reportedly extended eligible employees voluntary early retirement plans in an attempt to “right-size the organization.” Last month, MLB Network announced plans to move to new headquarters in Elmwood Park, N.J. starting in the 2028 baseball season, operating from a state-of-the-art facility that will house studios, offices and the league video library.
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