Former Yankee turned broadcaster, Anthony Rizzo, has big fan in ex-teammate Aaron Judge

Anthony Rizzo didn’t get a single vote for National League Rookie of the Year when he debuted with 49 games for the Padres in 2011. Today, Rizzo might win a mythical baseball announcer Rookie of the Year award for his work for NBC and Netflix.

He’s been that good.

He would at least get one vote: From his former Yankees buddy Aaron Judge.

“It's been incredible to watch,” Judge told Newsday in a telephone interview. “You see some guys kind of make that transition, maybe they're a little stiff or don't want to speak up or don't want to talk. He just fits right in. He's kind of just seamlessly transitioned to that so well.”

Rizzo, who won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016 and retired as a Yankee after the 2024 season, has appeared in various roles for NBC in its first year of taking over “Sunday Night Baseball” from ESPN, and for Netflix on its three baseball broadcasts, including the Home Run Derby.

Rizzo has been a standout on panels such as pre- and postgames and has also provided the hitter perspective as NBC’s “Inside the Pitch” man during games. He is scheduled to fill those roles this Sunday at 3 p.m. for NBC’s coverage of Giants-Red Sox from Fenway Park before moving into the booth for the first time for an entire game on “Sunday Night Baseball” on Aug. 30 for Reds-Cubs from his beloved Wrigley Field.

After retiring, Rizzo seemed as likely to spend his days in the Wrigley bleachers as putting on a suit and talking about the game. In fact, in July he was in those bleachers when he — for the second time as a fan — caught a home run ball.

But with NBC hiring announcers in droves for its package of 61 regular-season MLB broadcasts (Adam Ottavino and CC Sabathia have also been top-notch performers), the 37-year-old Rizzo has slid right in as if he had been doing it for decades.

“I think he just has so much knowledge to give still to this game,” Judge said. “I think getting a chance to do it on a national stage like this is only beneficial for him and only beneficial for the guys still in the game . . . I think what makes it so impressive is how he's just able to just flow with the conversation on TV and just kind of feel out the game and speak up when he has some good insight. It's been fun to watch.”

For Rizzo, it’s been fun to do.

“I feel really comfortable,” Rizzo told Newsday in a telephone interview. “Baseball is my language. I grew up playing it. I love everything about it, so getting to talk it and kind of portray it . . . I've listened to a lot of baseball games. I've heard announcers that I love hearing. I've heard people that I don't necessarily like that much. So just trying to blend all of that.”

Asked which announcer he most likes listening to, Rizzo switched sports.

“The first one that comes in my mind — he's a hot topic right now — is Tony Romo when he first came in with football," he said. "He was just calling every play and basically telling the audience what was going to happen and it happened. I thought that was amazing and that's always stuck with me.”

This is what makes Rizzo good: He didn’t shy away from mentioning Romo even though the NFL announcer is on indefinite leave from CBS after his July arrest for suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Milwaukee.

Rizzo could have gone with a safe choice — Harry Caray comes to mind for his Cubs ties —  but chose to say what he actually thinks. That bodes well for viewers.

“I like the guys that somewhat stay positive and just kind of explain the game and experiences,” Rizzo said. “I'm still learning my role. On the NBC side, I get in when I can and we talk batter/pitcher breakdown. But, yeah, again, it's been fun.”

Judge, who is trying to come back from a fractured rib, has a contract that runs until 2031. When he’s ready to retire, might he be interested in joining Rizzo on a panel or in a broadcast booth and vying for the still-mythical baseball announcer Rookie of the Year (Judge was a unanimous AL Rookie of the Year in 2017)?

“Nobody wants to hear that,” Judge said. “Hopefully I'll be coaching my kids somewhere and kind of pop in here and help the Yankees when I can. Nobody needs to hear that.”