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Alex Rodriguez will analyze the Yankees during broadcast booth debut

Alex Rodriguez knows a thing or two about the New York Yankees. The former third baseman spent his last 12 seasons with the club, and currently serves as a special advisor to the team. During his final year with the Yankees, Rodriguez took on a mentor role, helping the team’s young players develop. If you wanted in-depth insight and analysis on every player on the team, Rodriguez would be a great place to start.

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That’s probably why Rodriguez’s debut as a color commentator with Fox Sports will come during a Yankees game. Rodriguez is set to join Kevin Burkhardt in the booth on Thursday, as the Yankees take on the Kansas City Royals. The game, which starts at 8 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on FS1.

Two days later, he’ll reprise his role, again, this time covering the New York Mets as they go up against Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels. Rodriguez will be paired with Joe Buck for that game, forming a duo that should cause internet trolls to squeal with delight.

Alex Rodriguez is taking the next step in his broadcasting career. (AP Photo)
Alex Rodriguez is taking the next step in his broadcasting career. (AP)

Television is nothing new for A-Rod. Since his retirement, Rodriguez has been involved in a number of programs. He served as a pre-and-post game analyst for Fox Sports during the 2016 playoffs, served as a guest host on “Live with Kelly” and has a number of other projects and appearances in the works.

But this is a brand new role for Rodriguez. With his previous Fox Sports coverage, Rodriguez was able to prepare notes and talking points in advance of pre-scripted questions. While he’ll still be able to prep with the same level of intensity, Rodriguez will have to adjust to the randomness that comes with live game broadcasts. He’ll have to think on the fly more, though it’s worth noting that his pre-and-post game work happened live, so it’s not a completely foreign concept to him.

If he brings that same level of commitment to this gig, Rodriguez should be a tremendous color commentator. The former three-time MVP award winner has come off as both knowledgeable and intelligent during his previous appearances on Fox Sports. It’s clear Rodriguez has a deep understanding of the game.

Rodriguez is also familiar with his subjects here. He played with the Yankees last season, and should know every player on the club. And if his analysis is anything like the excellent scouting report he gave on Didi Gregorius a few years ago, people are really going to appreciate what he brings to the booth. You don’t usually hear a lot of scout speak from former players. Rodriguez is unique in that aspect.

All the pieces are in place for Rodriguez to knock this one out of the park. He’s excelled in similar situations and has a deep understanding of the team he’s going to cover. There’s a real chance fans will learn something by listening to his analysis, which will be a nice change over the norm.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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