David Ross, who was hired away from his role as a Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN to become the Chicago Cubs’ manager, is headed back to television.
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ESPN announced a multi-year contract for Ross on Tuesday. He will serve as an MLB analyst across game and studio coverage in 2026 for the same network that employed him from 2017-19.
He’s back! ESPN has reached a multi-year deal with 2x World Series champion David Ross
He will serve as an #MLB analyst across game & studio coverage beginning this season
Ross previously served as an ESPN analyst from 2017-2019 pic.twitter.com/GZcF4CVVXl
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 3, 2026
ESPN lost its “Sunday Night Baseball” package to NBC after opting out of its contract with MLB after last season. Bringing back Ross affirms the national pastime will still have a place in ESPN’s studio programming — and puts a popular player and manager back in the public eye three years after his final season in the Cubs’ dugout.
Ross, 48, managed the Cubs to a 262-284 record over four seasons. His best season was his last; the Cubs went 83-79 in 2023 and finished one game out of the Wild Card race.
Nonetheless, the Cubs replaced Ross with Craig Counsell after that season. They’ve finished second to the Milwaukee Brewers in each of the last two seasons, just as they did in their final season under Ross.
Ross played a key role in the Cubs ending their 108-year World Series championship drought in 2016, his final year as a player. As the backup catcher to Miguel Montero, Ross hit a home run in Game 7 of the series against Cleveland pitcher Andrew Miller, becoming the oldest player to homer in a World Series game at age 39.
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