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Morning Edition

January 31, 2025

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MLB has long struggled to market its best players. The league is being proactive with the next generation of young stars, and Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is at the center of its amplification efforts.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

MLB Betting on Elly De La Cruz As a Future Face of Baseball [[link removed]]

The Enquirer

The potential future face of baseball is getting a big dose of the spotlight, with maybe much more to come.

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is a core part of two separate baseball marketing campaigns debuting this week, showcasing just how highly many of the sport’s decision-makers think of the third-year phenom.

The Dominican star is one of three rising talents chosen to be the cover athletes for MLB: The Show 25 [[link removed]], the latest iteration of the long-running baseball simulation video game franchise, along with Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes [[link removed]] and Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. The selection of three cover athletes to share the honor is a first in the game’s two-decade history.

De La Cruz, meanwhile, is starring alone in a spot in MLB’s “Baseball Is Something Else” marketing campaign, showcasing his wide range of on-field skills in a Claymation video that debuted Thursday [[link removed]] and likens him to a real-world cheat code. The ad is airing in both English and Spanglish across a range of MLB-controlled outlets, those of league broadcast partners, and other digital media sites.

Unique Circumstances

De La Cruz’s current fame certainly is not on the level of MLB megastars such as the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani [[link removed]], Yankees’ Aaron Judge [[link removed]], and Mets’ Juan Soto [[link removed]], and he’s also toiling with the Reds—a smaller-market team that has reached the playoffs just once in the last 12 years, during the pandemic-altered 2020 season.

Not even arbitration-eligible yet, De La Cruz’s 2025 salary of $800,000 [[link removed]] is barely above this year’s league minimum of $760,000.

The 23-year-old, however, led MLB in stolen bases last year with 67, is already one of the game’s most dynamic players both offensively and defensively, and last year became just the fifth player since 1901 with 20 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a season. That youth and varied skill set has already put him on a short list of MLB players who could potentially sign a $1 billion contract [[link removed]].

The league’s marketing of its top stars, particularly young ones like De La Cruz, has long been a subject of criticism. Last fall, commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged that as an important growth opportunity [[link removed]], saying, “It’s about the focus on the players, trying to grow the game into a more national product.”

Adam Silver Floats Rule Changes, Defends NBA Ratings [[link removed]]

Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images

The basketball world has not been kind to NBA commissioner Adam Silver after he said on The Dan Patrick Show [[link removed]] that he is “a fan of four 10-minute quarters” over the traditional 12-minute quarters.

Silver acknowledged records and statistics could be affected if the change were implemented, which has been a common argument across all sports for cutting time or total number of games in a season.

But four 10-minute quarters have worked in most other basketball leagues across the world.

It’s the format in the Olympics, which follows FIBA rules. It’s also observed in other professional leagues like the WNBA and EuroLeague. NCAA college basketball is also a total of 40 minutes, though the women’s game has adapted to four quarters while the men play two halves.

Silver said a change to a 40-minute format would be beneficial to “modern television habits” as it would cut the game’s full run time to two hours.

The NBA’s viewership has been a hot topic this season [[link removed]], as the league dealt with double-digit declines through the first two months of the season before its Christmas Day slate cut the drop to about 4% [[link removed]].

The commissioner described ratings as “roughly even” this year compared to last year and said he’s been frustrated by the narrative about the league’s ratings, given declines in other leagues and across traditional television at large.

“There’s a lot of people out there who may not be fans of the NBA and become consumed with that story,” Silver told Patrick. “[The] NBA seems to take a disproportionate amount of that discussion.”

Other Rule Changes

It’s unlikely the NBA will switch to 10-minute quarters, as Silver said he’s “in the minority” of those in favor of the shift. But it’s clear the NBA is experimenting with radical changes across the board under Silver’s leadership.

The G League incorporated a free throw rule change [[link removed]] in 2019 where only one free throw is attempted for any foul that would typically result in free throws, worth one, two, or three points depending on the circumstance. Silver alluded to a slightly tweaked version of this rule, which was “discussed a little” by the league, during his interview with Patrick.

The NBA has also changed its overall season format, adding the play-in tournament in 2020–2021 and the In-Season Tournament, now called the Emirates NBA Cup, last season.

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NFL Pro Bowl Struggles for Relevance As Stars Sit Out, TV Ratings Decline [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before Super Bowl week begins in New Orleans, the NFL will celebrate some—but not nearly all—of the best players from the 2024 regular season at the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando.

The NFL’s all-star game is entering the third year of its new format [[link removed]], which includes various skills competitions and culminates with a flag football game Sunday, in place of the traditional tackle football game that players did not take seriously in its final years.

Despite the change, a downward TV ratings trend has continued to follow the Pro Bowl in its various iterations:

2024: 5.75 million 2023: 6.2 million 2022: 6.7 million

Like last year’s game, Sunday’s contest will be simulcast across ESPN, ABC, and Disney XD at 3 p.m. ET.

Making the Team

The Manning brothers will once again serve as coaches—Peyton for the AFC and Eli for the NFC, but each squad will be missing key players.

Of course, the six players from the Eagles and five from the Chiefs who were selected won’t participate as those teams prepare for Super Bowl LIX.

In total, 27 players originally selected to the Pro Bowl rosters have been replaced (up from 22 last year), including non–Super Bowl participants like MVP front-runners Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, as well as other stars including Jayden Daniels, Derrick Henry, T.J. Watt, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

That’s led to some interesting substitutions making the rosters, like Russell Wilson, who threw for 16 touchdowns across 11 games for the Steelers this season, and Drake Maye, the rookie quarterback who had a 3–9 record starting for the Patriots.

Australian Open Ratings Down 11%, Despite Keys’s Title [[link removed]]

Mike Frey-Imagn Images

The first tennis Grand Slam of the season delivered disappointing viewership results—though there was a small bright spot.

The 2025 Australian Open averaged 235,000 viewers on ESPN and ESPN2, down 11% from last year and 16% compared to 2023. The later rounds—from the quarterfinals to the championship—saw even steeper declines, averaging 295,000 viewers, down 20% versus last year.

There was some positive news, as the women’s final Saturday, which saw American Madison Keys upset two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka, drew 452,000 viewers on ESPN, up 34% year-over-year and a three-year viewership high for the event. The last time an American made the final was in 2021 when Danielle Collins lost to local favorite Ash Barty, and it averaged 482,000 viewers.

The men’s final Sunday averaged 465,000 viewers, down 12% compared to last year, as Jannik Sinner won his second consecutive Australian Open by defeating Alexander Zverev in straight sets. Last year, Sinner completed a two-set comeback to defeat Daniil Medvedev in five.

Due to the time difference between the U.S. and Melbourne, both championship matches aired at 3:30 a.m. ET.

Longer US Open Format

The USTA announced Wednesday via email to fans subscribed to ticket information for the US Open that it will expand its format by one day this year, from 14 to 15 days. The additional day puts it in line with the Australian Open—which made the change last year—and the French Open, which made the addition in 2006. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam that remains a 14-day affair.

The extra day provides additional revenue for the events through ticket sales, which will help fulfill the rising purses for the Grand Slams that have perennially hit record highs. The 2025 Australian Open brought in 1.2 million fans in 15 days, an attendance record.

Tennis commentator and former pro player Patrick McEnroe called the added day a “money grab” from organizers last year. But the additional day does provide a service for fans and players, especially at the US Open, where fans have complained about overcrowding and players have called for improvements in match scheduling [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS NETWORK

The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Johnny Football

Next Up with Adam Breneman is now part of the Front Office Sports Network.

From his breakout moment at Texas A&M to winning the Heisman Trophy and navigating the chaos of the NFL, Johnny shares stories, including his draft night experience and the challenges of adjusting to pro football schemes.

He offers thoughtful advice to young athletes about staying focused amidst distractions, maximizing opportunities in the NIL era, and navigating the pressures of being a public figure.

Watch the full Next Up episode here [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Joel Embiid has made more than $265 million in his NBA career. He’s been active for only 446 of 846 games (52.7%) [[link removed]]. LiAngelo Ball released the music video for his hit song “Tweaker,” which features his brother, Hornets star LaMelo Ball. Check it out [[link removed]]. Angel Reese is the first female athlete to get a signature meal at McDonald’s [[link removed]]. It’s called the Angel Reese Special. Editors’ Picks Greg Olsen Knew Tom Brady Was Looming at Fox All Along [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]Olsen knew when he took the top announcer job that Tom Brady was coming. Nashville Is Late Entry to WNBA Expansion Jockeying With Powerhouse Bid [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Cathy Engelbert wants to add only four teams in this expansion cycle. Western Oregon Women’s Basketball Players File $28 Million Lawsuit Claiming Coach Abuse [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Players say school officials ignored their complaints of physical abuse and bullying. Question of the Day

Do you plan on watching the Pro Bowl Games flag football finale on Sunday?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Thursday’s result: 58% of respondents would watch Caitlin Clark battle NBA stars in a three-point contest.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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