''Off Base'' is an American baseball commentary show on MLB Network. The show airs every weekday at 4:00 p.m. ET during the Major League Baseball regular season and is hosted by Lauren Gardner with analysis from Xavier Scruggs, Ariel Epstein, and various guest analysts. ''Off Base'' is a youth-oriented show featuring a segment highlighting the off-field
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
choices of MLB players and another segment dedicated to discussions about growing baseball's influence with younger audiences.
History
''Off Base'' was announced as an addition to MLB Network's programming in April 2022, just after the
2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
The 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout was the ninth work stoppage in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. It began at 12:01 a.m. EST on December 2, 2021, after MLB owners voted unanimously to enact a lockout upon the expiration o ...
and prior to the start of the 2022 season. The show's direction was noted as being a part of MLB's efforts to address low viewership with younger audiences, particularly among
Generation Z
Generation Z (or more commonly Gen Z for short), colloquially known as zoomers, is the Western world, Western demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular me ...
and
Millennials
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000 ...
. A poll conducted by Seton Hall University three months prior to the debut of the show found that MLB viewership was declining, particularly among younger fans.
Lauren Gardner, who has been an MLB Network personality since 2019, was tapped as the show's inaugural host. Former MLB first baseman Xavier Scruggs, baseball writer Hannah Keyser, and WFAN Radio sports radio host Keith McPherson joined the show as permanent analysts, with a fourth spot on the set left open for rotating guest analysts, which have included former MLB catcher
Anthony Recker
Anthony Vito Recker (born August 29, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.
Base ...
and actress Ellen Adair. The show debuted on April 11, 2022, from a new set at MLB Network's Studio 21 in