Nelson Figueroa, who pitched for the New York Mets and other Major League Baseball teams, has joined the WPIX New York on-air team as sports anchor and reporter. Marc Malusis is the station’s sports anchor, and Malusis and Figueroa will host New York Sports Nation Nightly, a weekday 7 p.m. show that launches May 15.
Figueroa started at WPIX April 25.
Besides the daily show, Figueroa will offer his perspective on the big sports stories of the day, and not just baseball. “I’ve listened to Nelson share his experience on playing, and have always found him super engaging and super honest,” said Nicole Tindiglia, WPIX news director. “That honesty is really important when talking about sports in New York.”
Sports Nation debuted on WPIX as a weekly show, airing 11 p.m. Sundays, in 2021, and Figueroa has appeared on it. It goes nightly next month.
“I’m really excited to have Marc Malusis, a well-known opinion maker in New York, sit with Nelson, a former Met and excellent New York athlete,” said Tindiglia.
Figueroa grew up in Brooklyn, and mentioned watching PIX11 “every day, after school.” His MLB career began in 2000 and ended in 2011. He played for the Mets in 2008 and 2009, and also spent time with the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, Pirates, Blue Jays and Astros.
After his playing career, Figueroa spent four years at the local sports cable network SNY, and also worked at MLB Network. He co-hosts a Mets podcast, Amazin’ But True, that is part of the New York Post.
Mission Broadcasting owns PIX11 and Nexstar Media Group manages the station.
With more attention paid to the human beings inside the star athletes’ uniforms, including the mental-health issues elite athletes often deal with, Figueroa said he can relate to pro players in a manner that most sports reporters perhaps cannot. Having played pro ball, he said, “helps me immensely” in the new role.
