MLB Network host AJ Andrews is living up to her nickname as the “Beyoncé of softball.”
The former softball pro showed she’s not afraid of the spotlight by showing off her incredible physique on ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue in 2017.
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And the 30-year-old has continued to embrace her moniker as she forges a career among America’s burgeoning sports broadcasters.
Andrews joined MLB Network last year as a studio host appearing on several programs, including the weekly children’s show Play Ball.
And it will play a major role in MLB Draft in Seattle from July 9 to 11.
It promises to be a watershed moment for Andrews, who entered broadcasting after a successful collegiate and professional softball career.
After growing up in Clearwater, Florida, Andrews was drafted by Louisiana State University where she played in two Women’s College World Series.
The All-American went on to play professionally in the now-defunct National Pro Fastpitch League.
In 2016, she made history by becoming the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award after making a series of acrobatic catches in right field for the Akron Racers.
“It’s an incredible honor to be here. Just the fact that Rawlings truly supports women’s sports and softball speaks volumes.” Andrews said at the time.
“The importance is immeasurable, honestly. It’s just the strides that softball is making to get recognition and recognition.”
A year later, Andrews gained national exposure after stripping for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue.
In the photos, she wore little more than a softball glove where she showed off her “beautiful muscles.”
“I’m a really brave player. I’m one of those players who dives into the mud,” she told ESPN.
“If I don’t get dirty during a match, I don’t feel like I’ve done my job.
“But I also really like looking fabulous; I wear makeup during games.”
After starting her broadcasting career with the YouTube show My Way with AJ, she has since gotten work as a softball analyst on SEC Network, a content creator at BetMGM and her own podcast Barrier Breaking Women, alongside her role at MLB Network.
For many years, she held these roles while playing softball in the new women’s professional fastpitch league and Athletes Unlimited.
From his multiple jobs, she told The Athletic: “It’s a lot of give and take, but I think my professional softball team understands very well the fact that we all need to have careers outside of the professional game.”
In 2019, she was nicknamed “the Beyonce of softball’ by Jacque Reid of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, a name she immediately adopted.
“They introduced me as such and I was like, ‘You know what? Thanks, I’ll move on with that,'” she says.
As she continues to progress within MLB Network, Andrews dreams of one day having her own talk show.
“Think of an Oprah for sports,” she said.
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