MLB acquires stake in Jomboy Media to expand digital presence
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has agreed on a strategic partnership with Jomboy Media and will acquire a stake in the company. The two sides announced the deal on Tuesday.
Jomboy Media will be used across MLB's digital channels. MLB will also help grow Jomboy Media's other shows, including 'Talkin' Baseball,' 'Talkin' Yanks,' and 'The Warehouse Games.'
Both sides are also expected to collaborate on IP growth and ad opportunities around MLB's key events, including the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.
According to the release, Jomboy Media set revenue and profitability records last year, and had more than 93 million engagements on social media. Jomboy Media was founded by Jimmy 'Jomboy' O'Brien and Jake Storiale in 2017.
'We have long admired the passionate fandom of Jimmy O'Brien and his unique ability to connect with baseball fans,' Noah Garden, MLB deputy commissioner, business and media, said in a statement. 'This partnership will ensure that Jomboy Media will have the resources and access to MLB intellectual property necessary to help it continue to grow. We are looking forward to bringing baseball fans more entertaining content to help further expand baseball's online presence and deeper the connection between our sport and its fans.'
Jomboy Media's key property is 'The Warehouse Games,' a league modeled after classic backyard games. The series has nearly 400 million all-time views.
'I continue to be amazed by what our community enables us to do through their endless support. When we started talking about baseball on the internet, it was just a fun hobby. Our community is the reason we've been able to turn this from 'just a hobby,' into something bigger than we ever could've imagined," O'Brien said in a statement. "Partnering with MLB marks a huge moment for Jomboy Media, and through this partnership, we'll be able to give back to our community with storytelling that's deeper than ever before.'
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Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is currently heavily favored to become the first back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner since Pedro Martinez in 2000. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is currently heavily favored to become the first back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner since Pedro Martinez in 2000. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As the first full, post-All Star break week of the MLB season continues, Newsweek's look at the odds to win the biggest regular-season awards in baseball continues today with a breakdown of the Cy Young races. 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While Skubal is en route to his third straight season with a BB/9 of 2.0 or fewer, Crochet -- who gave up 2.0 BB/9 in 2024 -- is allowing 2.4 walks per nine innings. AL Cy Young Best Bet: Stay Away, Or Take Favorite Tarik Skubal Assuming both Skubal and Crochet maintain what we've seen from them so far this year, I can't argue with Skubal's status as the favorite here. Unfortunately, that makes all the non-Skubal options in this market easy-to-resist, even at odds that might look tempting on the surface. National League Cy Young Odds FD ESPN BET Zack Wheeler -115 -115 Paul Skenes +105 EVEN Christopher Sanchez +1500 +1600 Logan Webb +5000 +3300 In the National League, we're looking at a battle between Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes that could go down to the wire. Zack Wheeler vs. Paul Skenes Statistical Comp. (as of 7/24) Let's start the comparison by listing off the key stats for both below. Record (IP) ERA Strikeouts (SO/9) BB BB/9 SO/BB WAR Zack Wheeler 9-3 (128) 2.39 164 (11.5) 26 1.8 6.31 5.0 Paul Skenes 5-8 (127) 1.91 137 (9.7) 31 2.2 4.42 5.4 If you took a blind look at the numbers above, you might need a second to figure out whether you're more impressed by the overall numbers on the top line or those below it. Skenes' ERA and WAR are spectacular, but it's hard to argue with Wheeler's almost-as-impressive ERA, not to mention his absurd strikeout numbers. There are a couple interesting questions to ponder beyond the stats for these two: Will Wheeler -- who finished a distant second behind Chris Sale in last year's NL Cy Young race (Sale got 26 first-place votes, while Wheeler received four) -- get the benefit of the doubt in another close race? Will voters go against the player with the better WAR? Last year, Sale (6.2 WAR), Wheeler (6.1 WAR) and Skenes (5.9 WAR) "happened" to finish in the same order in the NL Cy Young vote as they did in the NL WAR rankings. Now, let's unpack WAR's role in Cy Young voting a bit further. In last year's AL race, Skubal's WAR of 6.4 was one of the many metrics by which he was in a class of his own. In 2023, Gerrit Cole (7.4 WAR) won the AL Cy Young in a landslide thanks in large part to his big lead atop the WAR leaderboard, while the story for then-Padres ace Blake Snell (6.5 WAR) was the same in the NL. Let's wrap this up by addressing whether either Wheeler and/or Skenes are likely to rest down the stretch of the regular season. If you weren't familiar with 35-year-old Wheeler's recent track record, you might assume there was a chance he wouldn't be a safe bet to rack up the innings. But Wheeler has started 32 games in three of the last four seasons, and it's hard to see that changing this year, especially given that the Phillies are in a dogfight in both the NL East and the National League wildcard hunt. NL Cy Young Best Bet: Zack Wheeler Best odds as of 7/24: -115 (available at FanDuel, ESPN BET) Unfortunately for Skenes' case, it's unlikely that Pittsburgh -- which has one of the worst records in baseball and no playoff hopes -- will trot him out for anywhere near 32 starts. For me, that makes a chalky bet on Wheeler the best NL Cy Young bet as of today. The good news here is that while -115 is not exactly irresistible, it's still well worth a wager at nearly even-money. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
