Fresh off retirement, Cubs icon Anthony Rizzo trades his glove for the analyst desk, bringing his championship insight to NBC Sports.
It has been an eventful few months for former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo officially retired from Major League Baseball on September 10, 2025. Just a few days later, the Cubs honored him at Wrigley Field for his incredible career. He threw out the first pitch to former teammate Ian Happ and sat in the left field bleachers to take in the game as a fan.
Then, the Cubs' 2016 World Series team was celebrated at the Cubs Convention earlier this month. Rizzo was seen with his former teammates and even held up the trophy when the team was announced.
Now, a new career awaits Rizzo.
Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal reported that the long-time MLB player is set to become a lead MLB analyst for NBC Sports.
“NBC is set to hire former MLBer Anthony Rizzo as one of its lead MLB analysts for MLB studio work this season, sources tell SBJ,” Karp wrote.
NBC agreed to a multi-year deal with Major League Baseball that includes the rights to some games throughout the season. NBC will host the new Sunday Night Baseball, kick off an exclusive Opening Day doubleheader, and will be the home of the Wild Card Round in the postseason.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, all signs point to Rizzo stepping into this new role just a couple of months after retiring. The three-time All-Star spent 14 years in the Majors, most of which came with the Cubs.
Rizzo spent 10 of his 14 years with the Cubs and quickly became a fan favorite. His best years with Chicago came from 2014 to 2019, when he hit a combined 179 home runs, 199 doubles, 592 RBI, and 46 stolen bases across those six seasons.
The first baseman also played a key role in the Cubs breaking the curse and winning their first World Series in 108 years. During the 2016 postseason, Rizzo hit .277 with three home runs, four doubles, and 10 RBI.
So, Rizzo will forever be engraved in the Cubs' history books. After all, he is the player who caught the final out in that World Series and back-pocketed that ball to break the curse.
Cubs fans will now get to see Rizzo back on TV screens. This time, talking about the game as a lead analyst for NBC Sports. Clayton Kershaw is also expected to appear on the network as an analyst with Rizzo.