Latino star Pepe Aguilar is heading toward the 2026 Latin Grammys with another nomination celebrating his devotion to traditional Mexican music. But before arriving in Las Vegas, the singer is stepping into an unexpected new role connected to another lifelong passion: baseball.
Aguilar has been selected as the voice of FOX Deportes' promotional campaign for the 2026 MLB postseason, bringing together Mexican culture, Hispanic identity, and one of the most important events on the American sports calendar. Surprising many of his fans, he will headline the network's postseason campaign through original promotional spots, tune-in videos, and other content accompanying FOX Deportes' coverage beginning Oct. 3.
"I received the very kind invitation and was delighted to accept it," Aguilar told this reporter. "I really like baseball, although in recent years I haven't had much time to follow any sport the way I used to."
The announcement comes as Aguilar celebrates a Latin Grammy nomination for Mi Suerte Es Ser Mexicano II, which is competing for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album. His son-in-law, Christian Nodal, is nominated in the same category for Bandera Blanca, alongside Camila Fernández's La Fernández and Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández's La Voz de Mi Trompeta (50 Años).
Despite headlines portraying the nomination as a family showdown, Aguilar said he and Nodal do not consider themselves rivals.
"We don't see each other as competitors," Aguilar said. "We do the same thing and have the same profession, but we are at different stages of our careers."
The singer said he and Nodal had spent the previous afternoon together discussing their nominations and laughing about the attention surrounding their friendly Latin Grammy faceoff.
"What matters more is the nomination for Mexican music," he said. "The fact that the Grammys are considering two different generations in the same category, within the same music, is what is relevant. We are happy."
Between horses and ball
That focus on culture and generational connections also runs through Aguilar's FOX Deportes campaign. Baseball, he revealed, was an important part of his childhood in Zacatecas, where he grew up playing first base and dividing his time between the baseball field and horseback riding.
"All the little towns have their team and their baseball field," Aguilar said. "My entire childhood was spent riding horses and playing baseball more than any other sport." He was skilled with the glove, although he joked that his abilities at the plate weren't enough. "I was good with the bat, but for my height and weight, I would have needed to hit much harder," he said. "I definitely wasn't a cleanup hitter."
His loyalty to the Los Angeles Dodgers also began during childhood, following an encounter most young baseball fans could only dream about. He has thrown the first ball twice at Dodger Stadium. When Aguilar was approximately 10 or 11 years old, he had dinner with Mexican pitching legend Fernando Valenzuela and celebrated Dodgers scout Mike Brito. He later visited the Dodgers bullpen and clubhouse, where he met legendary manager Tommy Lasorda.
"After that, what other team was I ever going to support?" Aguilar said. "A 10- or 11-year-old child having that experience, there was no other team."
Although Aguilar now lives in Texas and has been invited to Houston Astros games, he said nothing has changed his allegiance. "Since I was very young, the Dodgers were the team that attracted me the most," he said. "The Dodgers win, so let's go, Dodgers."
Aguilar is also a devoted Raiders fan, a loyalty that began after another childhood visit to a professional team's locker room. His father, Antonio Aguilar, was performing at the Los Angeles Sports Arena while the then-Los Angeles Raiders were playing nearby at the Coliseum.
"I became a huge Raiders fan, unfortunately for me, because we never win anything," he joked. "But I'm going to keep supporting my Raiders because someday we'll win again."
The things that unite us
For Aguilar, sports and music serve a similar purpose. Both can unite families, connect generations and reinforce the cultural roots carried by Hispanics in the United States.
"There's no way to know where you're going if you don't know where you come from," Aguilar said in announcing the FOX Deportes campaign. "Having well-defined roots and culture gives you strength."
Those roots are also the foundation of Mi Suerte Es Ser Mexicano II. Aguilar explained that the record is the second part of a planned three-album tribute inspired by the colors of the Mexican flag. The first installment represented red, the second is green and a third project representing white is still to come.
The albums revive ranchera compositions connected to rural Mexico and the world of charrería, including songs Aguilar believes deserve to be introduced to new generations.
