Meredith Marakovits

Meredith Marakovits (born July 22, 1983) is an Emmy Award-winning American sports reporter. As of April 2025, she is the YES Network's clubhouse reporter for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, where she covers the network's Yankees game broadcasts, pre-game and post-game shows, and contributes to the ''Yankees Batting Practice Today'' and Yankees Hot Stove programs. Marakovits is featured frequently on YES’ special Yankees programming, the YESNetwork.com website, and YES’ various social media platforms. Marakovits previously did radio and television work with ESPN, WFAN, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, and SportsNet New York (SNY), covering both local and national sports.

Early life

Marakovits was born in Walnutport, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley."'Take 5 with Meredith Marakovits' A Wednesday chat with a Lehigh Valley sports figure." ''Morning Call'', June 18, 2008, pp. C.2''. ProQuest Central''. She attended Allentown Central Catholic High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she played volleyball and was named the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Most Valuable Player, earned first-team all- District 11 honors, and received all-state honorable mention recognition. Marakovits graduated from Central Catholic in 2001 with a scholarship to play volleyball at the NCAA Division I level at La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but she suffered from many lower-leg injuries throughout her collegiate career.Groller, Keith. "Marakovits Says YES to a Busy Summer with the Yanks ** CCHS Grad and Northampton Native Will Cover One of the World's most Famous Franchises." ''Morning Call'', 29 Mar., 2012''. ProQuest.'' She graduated from La Salle in 2005 with a degree in Communications.

Meredith attributes her passion for sports to growing up in an athletic family with two older brothers.Gutierrez, Amy, “Yankees Reporter Meredith Marakovits Living Her Major-league Dream,” ''NBC Bay Area,'' 27 April 2019, https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/mlb/yankees-reporter-meredith-marakovits-living-her-major-league-dream/1305680/ She described her younger self as a tomboy who played a wide range of sports, including basketball, softball, swimming, and gymnastics, along with volleyball. Injuries in college forced her to reconsider her future, and she began seriously exploring a career in sports broadcasting. While in college, Marakovits interned at Fox Sports in Los Angeles for three months, working as a production assistant on the MLB on Fox pregame show with Jeanne Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy.McCaffrey, Jen, "When baseball season paused, Meredith Marakovits turned to backup plan," ''The Athletic,'' June 19, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1875974/2020/06/19/meredith-marakovits-yankees-feature/ This experience ignited her enthusiasm for a career in broadcasting.

Career

2005 - 2009

In 2005, Marakovits began her career as a reporter and photographer with Service Electric, an Allentown, Pennsylvania local TV station that covered Lehigh Valley's high school and college sports. Marakovits worked for the network's sports division as a sideline reporter for their college football, indoor football, and college basketball broadcasts. Beginning in 2006, Marakovits also joined the morning radio show SportsTalk Philadelphia on 950 ESPN/ 97.5 The Fanatic.Groller, Keith, "Parkland to Host McDonald's Game ** L.V. NOTEBOOK: IFTH Edition" ''Morning Call'', 19 Dec., 2006, pp. C3''. ProQuest.'' She served as the third voice alongside hosts Gregg Henson and former NFL quarterback Glenn Foley, who was later replaced by Jon Marks.

When Service Electric gained rights to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Double-A and Triple-A teams in 2008, she also began covering baseball. Marakovits covered the Reading Fightin Phils, the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate, and served as the pre-game, post-game host, and sideline reporter covering the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate.

During this time, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia offered her a segment on their “farm report” covering minor league prospects, which she accepted. Marakovits juggled three jobs through 2009, calling that time in her career “insanity.” That year, she also covered the Yankees-Phillies World Series for SportsNet New York (SNY). She hosted a half-hour on-site pregame show, her first experience reporting from the field at Yankee Stadium.

2010 - 2012

Marakovits left her gig at Service Electric to join ESPN 1050 in 2010, where she covered the New York Mets and New York Yankees. In April 2011, she switched from ESPN 1050 to WFAN-AM 660, serving as a radio voice on one of the nation's "pre-eminent sports-talk radio stations."Groller, Keith. "Marakovits is the Talk of Two Cities." ''Morning Call'', 26 Aug., 2011''. ProQuest.'' Marakovits did overnight updates and various reporting and fill-in stints, including on the "Boomer and Carton" morning show.

Over this span, Marakovits continued working as an anchor for SNY, contributing to SNY programs ''The Wheelhouse'', ''Daily News Live,'' and ''GEICO Sportsnite''. During this time, Marakovits additionally served as the Philadelphia 76ers sideline reporter and as a contributor to ''Toyota Sportsnite'' for Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. She was also a fill-in anchor at Comcast SportsNet New England.

2012 - April 2025

In 2012, Marakovits succeeded Kim Jones as the New York Yankees clubhouse reporter for the YES Network. Because she was offered the job late in the baseball offseason, Marakovits began covering the Yankees while simultaneously wrapping up her contract with the 76ers.

In her current role, she covers the network's Yankees game broadcasts, pre-game and post-game shows, and she contributes to the ''Yankees Batting Practice Today'' and Yankees Hot Stove programs. Marakovits is featured frequently on YES’ special Yankees programming, the YESNetwork.com website, and YES’ various social media platforms, and she occasionally hosts the network's Brooklyn Nets pre-game and post-game shows. She also often makes guest appearances on MLB Network shows such as ''The Rundown'' and ''MLB Now.'' In 2022, Marakovits was also featured on a few TBS MLB Tuesday broadcasts, working as a reporter during games. Since 2023, Marakovits has hosted the network's special Batting Practice All-Access shows, which include game previews, player interviews, pre-taped features, and fan questions.

''The Joe Girardi Show''

From 2012 to 2017, while Joe Girardi was the Yankees manager, Marakovits hosted the weekly ''Joe Girardi Show'' for YES.Schwartz, Jon. "Yankees Magazine: The Showman." ''MLB'', October 16, 2017, https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-manager-joe-girardi-show-c258700434 Marakovits played a key role in revamping ''The Joe Girardi Show'', which began in 2008, helping to move it beyond its original, static interview format. Teaming up with producer Eric Roldan, she introduced more personal, behind-the-scenes segments that showcased Girardi's personality off the field, starting with small “access” pieces. These pieces eventually evolved into on-location episodes, featuring visits to restaurants and tourist spots during road trips, giving fans a fresh, more engaging look at the Yankees’ manager.

COVID-19 pandemic

When the baseball season was shut down in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Marakovits took it upon herself to stay connected with fans and baseball while the YES Network was still developing a content strategy without live sports. She launched a makeshift interview series called “Live with Mere” on Instagram Live, later uploaded to YouTube, where she spoke with friends and colleagues from the sports broadcasting world, including ESPN's Jon (Boog) Sciambi, MLB Network analyst Al Leiter, and Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. Marakovits also contributed to YES’ “Yes We’re Here” series, interviewing past and current players.

Awards

Marakovits is a nine-time New York Emmy Award winner for her work covering the Yankees on YES Network. She earned two Emmys in 2023, recognized for her reporting and pre-game coverage. In 2024, she received another Emmy for her significant involvement in YES’ full-season Yankees game broadcasts.

In 2019, the trade organization Cynopsis named Marakovits among its “Top Women in Sports,” honoring her in the On-Air Talent category.On-Air Talent, Top Women in Media, ''Cynopsis,'' https://www.cynopsis.com/events/2019-top-women-in-media/

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marakovits, Meredith
1983 births
Living people
Allentown Central Catholic High School alumni
Major League Baseball broadcasters
NBA broadcasters
College football announcers
College basketball announcers in the United States
American sports journalists
American sports announcers
SportsNet New York people
La Salle University alumni
YES Network
People from Northampton County, Pennsylvania