Baseball and softball are both having a moment. The 2025 Women’s College World Series was the most watched ever, with 2.4 million people tuning in to game 3. On the baseball side, almost 11 million people watched Venezuela beat the U.S. to take the 2026 World Baseball Classic title. The audience for both sports is growing, and LSU softball star and baseball media analyst AJ Andrews is one of their most enthusiastic ambassadors.

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk to AJ about how the MLB must embrace player authenticity in order to flourish. She also shares how a conversation with ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza changed her career trajectory and why the future of softball lies in storytelling. Finally, AJ and Alex compare notes about the benefits of being an athlete turned broadcaster.