Ryan Rowland-Smith has had a chance to dabble in a few things for MLB Network, whether it be the World Baseball Classic, the World Series, or everything in between.
The former Seattle Mariners pitcher announced last week that he landed a permanent analyst role with the league network. That’s in addition to his continued Mariners’ involvement, which will remain unchanged, as he’ll still be a fixture on the team’s ROOT SPORTS local telecasts and will continue his presence on the Mariners’ post-game radio show on 710ESPN. This new analyst role adds to his already established media portfolio, which includes his podcast, The Top Step with Ryan Rowland-Smith.
In a recent appearance on Awful Announcing’s Short and to the Point podcast with host Jessica Kleinschmidt, Rowland-Smith shared that he’s “really excited” about his upcoming gig as he joins MLBN’s rotation of analysts.
“I said this the other day to Alanna Rizzo on High Heat — I’m not gonna lie — I walked into those studios, and I was super nervous,” he said. “And the same thing we talked about at the beginning of the conversation that imposter syndrome. I walked in the studio for the first time and did a couple of shows. I’m like, ‘Man, ok, this feels like when you’re trying to push towards the big leagues,’ I felt like…And so, that was 2019. I left there and literally bugged (Senior Vice President of Production for MLB Network) Marc Caiafa — I love the guy; he does an amazing job: he and Chris Pfeiffer, who does the live stuff — like the in-game stuff.
“And every time I do something for them, it’s an audition. If you’re talking to a young broadcaster, every time you’re on-air, someone is watching. Anyway, they kept saying, ‘Oh, we’d love to bring you in more,’ and I just kept pushing and pushing… I learned this from my playing career — you have to be proactive. I am not Albert Pujols retiring, Adam Wainwright retiring, and someone’s gonna offer me a job. That’s not how it works. 95% of us, it’s not the way it works.”
Believing it demonstrated his commitment to both the team and the network, Rowland-Smith persistently reached out to Caiafa. After all, the environment at MLB Network has only continued to foster what he believes to be his strength as a teammate.
“They love working with me,” he explained. “I’ve always done well with I’m on-air with them. And finally, at the Winter Meetings last year, Caiafa said, ‘Hey, look, let’s try and make this happen this year.’ I said, ‘I’m gonna hold you to that.’ And ever since December of last year, I just bugged him and bugged him. And finally, it’s worked out. I’m really excited. I’m going to London in a couple of weeks to do the London Series over there and then go from there. I can’t wait.”
Rowland-Smith has earned his spot at the table with his dedication and relentless pursuit. Now, the Aussie-born former player turned MLB personality is ready to bring his baseball knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to fans worldwide.
Short and to the Point with Jessica Kleinschmidt is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.