From 2015-20, Jon Lester made an indelible mark on Chicago Cubs fans.
In his six years with the team, the lefthander went 77-44 with a 3.64 ERA and 940 strikeouts during the best run the franchise has had in a century. Lester’s playoff performances also stand out, as he allowed 20 runs in 70 total postseason innings for the Cubs, including just eight runs in 35 innings of action in the 2016 postseason, where Lester took home the NLCS MVP en route to the Cubs’ first championship in 108 years.
Lester will return to Wrigley Field this weekend, but instead of playing, he’ll join the Marquee Network as an analyst for the team’s upcoming homestand.
Marquee announced the news Thursday, noting that Lester will be in the studio for Friday and Saturday’s games against the Arizona Diamondbacks before joining the broadcast booth Sunday alongside Pat Hughes and Joe Girardi.
Lester will remain in the booth for the following series against the Milwaukee Brewers alongside Jon Scambi and Jim Deshaies.
Since his 2022 retirement, Lester has kept a low profile. It’s unclear if this is a one-off appearance or if broadcasting is something the pitcher will look to do in the long term, following the footsteps of longtime teammate and former Cubs manager David Ross, who joined ESPN between retiring and returning to manage the team.
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