Jake Storiale

Jake Storiale
Occupation	Media executive, sports commentator, podcast host
Known for	Co-founder and president of Jomboy Media
Website	https://jomboymedia.com

Jake Storiale is an American sports media executive, podcast host, and baseball commentator. He is the co-founder and president of Jomboy Media, a multimedia sports company that has grown from a small New York Yankees podcast into one of the most prominent independent sports media organizations in the United States. Alongside Jimmy O'Brien, known publicly as "Jomboy," Storiale co-created the podcast Talkin' Yanks in 2017, which became a central platform for Yankees fan commentary and analysis. From that foundation, Storiale helped build Jomboy Media into a company that, by 2022, employed 64 people and had secured a contract with the YES Network, the Yankees' regional sports network. In 2025, Major League Baseball acquired a stake in Jomboy Media, a development that Storiale and O'Brien discussed publicly on MLB Network's MLB Tonight. As president of the company, Storiale has been responsible for the business operations and strategic growth of the brand, while O'Brien has served as its most visible on-air personality. Together, the two have been credited with helping reshape how baseball content is consumed by younger audiences in the digital era.

Career

Talkin' Yanks and early growth

In 2017, Storiale and Jimmy O'Brien co-created Talkin' Yanks, a podcast focused on the New York Yankees. The show was produced with the assistance of David Mendelsohn. The podcast served as a forum for discussion and analysis of Yankees games, roster moves, and broader baseball topics, and it attracted a growing audience of Yankees fans who connected with the informal, conversational style of the hosts.

The podcast's early growth was organic, built largely through social media engagement and word-of-mouth among the Yankees fan community. Storiale's role in the venture extended beyond hosting; he was involved in the operational and business aspects of the emerging media brand from its inception. The partnership between Storiale and O'Brien combined O'Brien's on-camera charisma and content creation instincts with Storiale's business acumen and organizational leadership.

Formation of Jomboy Media

As the audience for Talkin' Yanks expanded, Storiale and O'Brien formalized their operations under the banner of Jomboy Media. The company grew significantly after O'Brien's "breakdown" videos went viral in 2019. These videos, in which O'Brien analyzed notable sporting moments using lip reading and comedic commentary, brought millions of new viewers to the Jomboy Media ecosystem. O'Brien's breakdown of the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal was among the most consequential, as it helped bring public attention to the controversy before MLB's formal investigation.

While O'Brien's viral content drove audience growth, Storiale focused on building the infrastructure to sustain and monetize that attention. As president of Jomboy Media, Storiale oversaw the company's expansion from a two-person podcast operation into a multi-platform media enterprise. The company's YouTube channel, Jomboy Media, grew to over 2.2 million subscribers and accumulated more than 1.73 billion views.

Under Storiale's leadership as president, Jomboy Media diversified its content offerings. The company launched multiple podcast and video series, including Talkin' Baseball, a broader baseball discussion show; The Chris Rose Rotation, featuring veteran sports broadcaster Chris Rose; Baseball Today; and The Warehouse Games, an entertainment-oriented competition series. The company also developed Jomboy Reference, a baseball statistics and reference resource.

Business expansion and partnerships

By 2022, Jomboy Media had grown to 64 employees, a substantial expansion from its origins as a small podcast between friends. That same year, the company signed a contract with the YES Network, the regional sports network that broadcasts Yankees games. The YES Network deal represented a significant milestone, as it connected the independent digital media company with traditional sports broadcasting infrastructure.

The company's relationship with the Yankees organization deepened over time. In recent seasons, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has regularly appeared on the Talkin' Yanks podcast, a practice that underscored Jomboy Media's growing credibility within the professional baseball world. In a July 2025 episode of the podcast, Boone used the platform to deliver a pointed commentary about mainstream media's approach to questioning Yankees players, further demonstrating the podcast's status as a significant media outlet within the baseball landscape.

It was reported that Jomboy Media generated more than $10 million in annual revenue in 2024, reflecting the company's commercial growth under Storiale's business stewardship.

MLB partnership

In 2025, Major League Baseball acquired a stake in Jomboy Media, marking one of the most significant corporate developments in the company's history. The partnership was announced publicly and discussed by both Storiale and O'Brien in an appearance on MLB Tonight on August 22, 2025. The deal reflected MLB's broader strategy of engaging with digital-native media companies to expand its reach, particularly among younger demographics who consume sports content primarily through online platforms rather than traditional television broadcasts.

Barrett Media reported on the partnership, noting that MLB had experienced increases in viewership, attendance, and digital reach in 2025, and that the relationship with Jomboy Media was part of the league's evolving approach to fan engagement.

CBS News profiled Jomboy Media in June 2025, describing the company as a "sports media powerhouse" that had started as a baseball podcast between friends before its popularity "exploded thanks to viral lip-reading videos." The profile highlighted the trajectory from grassroots content creation to institutional recognition, a path in which Storiale's role as president and business leader was central.

Expansion beyond baseball

While baseball has remained the core of Jomboy Media's identity, the company has expanded its coverage to other sports. Notably, O'Brien provided commentary for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2024, introducing cricket to the Jomboy Media audience and drawing attention from international sports media. This expansion into cricket coverage demonstrated the company's willingness to apply its signature style—accessible, humorous, and detailed analysis—to sports beyond its original focus. Under Storiale's operational leadership, these expansions were managed alongside the company's core baseball programming without diluting the brand's identity.

The company also explored involvement in Major League Cricket, as the sport sought to establish a foothold in the American market.

Media presence and public role

Storiale has maintained a public-facing role at Jomboy Media, appearing regularly as a host and commentator alongside O'Brien. While O'Brien's viral breakdown videos have made him the more widely recognized figure, Storiale's consistent presence on Talkin' Yanks and other Jomboy Media programming has established him as a recognized voice in baseball media in his own right. His joint appearance with O'Brien on MLB Tonight in August 2025 to discuss the MLB partnership reflected his role as the company's co-leader and public representative on business matters.

TheWrap profiled the Jomboy Media operation in October 2025, describing the company's efforts to make baseball appealing to broader audiences. The article highlighted the organizational dynamics behind the media company's content strategy as it continued to grow.

Controversies

In July 2025, a Jomboy Media producer was involved in an incident in which he verbally confronted Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer during a game. The incident drew attention from baseball media outlets, with Athlon Sports reporting that MLB had not yet responded to the situation. The incident highlighted the tensions that can arise as independent media companies with fan-culture origins operate in closer proximity to professional sports organizations.

Recognition

Jomboy Media's growth and influence in sports media have been recognized across multiple platforms. The company's YouTube channel was nominated for a Streamy Award in 2021, reflecting its prominence in the online video space.

The company has been the subject of profiles and features in major media outlets, including The New York Times, CBS News, ESPN, TheWrap, Al Jazeera, and The Daily Telegraph. Cronkite News at Arizona State University highlighted Jomboy Media as an example of how baseball influencers could offer solutions to MLB's marketing challenges.

The 2025 MLB investment in Jomboy Media represented an institutional endorsement of the company's significance within the sport's media landscape. For Storiale, who co-founded the company and has served as its president throughout its growth, the recognition reflected both the audience appeal of Jomboy Media's content and the viability of its business model.

Legacy

Storiale's role in building Jomboy Media represents a case study in the transformation of sports media during the digital era. The company's trajectory—from a fan-driven Yankees podcast to a multimillion-dollar enterprise with an ownership stake held by Major League Baseball itself—illustrates how independent content creators have disrupted traditional sports broadcasting models.

As president of Jomboy Media, Storiale has been instrumental in the business decisions that allowed the company to scale while maintaining its identity as an accessible, fan-oriented media brand. The company's ability to secure partnerships with established institutions like the YES Network and MLB, while retaining the informal tone that attracted its audience, has been a defining characteristic of its growth.

The Front Office Sports publication profiled the Jomboy Media operation, noting the company's unique position at the intersection of independent digital media and professional sports. Storiale's partnership with O'Brien has been characterized by a division of responsibilities in which O'Brien serves as the creative and on-screen talent while Storiale manages the business infrastructure that supports the company's content output.

The Jomboy Media model has influenced how sports leagues approach digital media partnerships, with MLB's 2025 investment signaling that established leagues see value in aligning with creator-driven media companies rather than competing against them.