The five-part series, “Road to the Show,” produced by the Emmy Award-winning MLB Network, continues with episode 3 streaming on Peacock on Sunday, where family takes center stage.
“Road to the Show” takes viewers through the defining moments that shape baseball's next generation -- capturing the pressure, sacrifice and determination involved in pursuing a Major League dream while highlighting the families, coaches and teammates who make that journey possible. The series features four MLB prospects and two top college prospects who were selected in the first round of the MLB Draft last weekend.
The Road to the Show
EP 1: First Stop
EP 2: Mile Markers
EP 3: Sunday, July 19
EP 4: Sunday, July 26
EP 5: Sunday, Aug. 2
Each player's road to The Show is a long one and at times could be lonely. But nobody makes it alone. This episode offers an intimate look into the support system behind each of these players on their journey as viewers meet the families of these budding stars.
After making the jump from Single-A to Double-A, Gage Wood shares the excitement and surprise of skipping a level. MLB's No. 51 prospect also acknowledges the sacrifices his parents made along the way to get him here as they recount his Draft night and we get a front-row seat to his Double-A Reading debut.
Meet the Cockapoo and Yorkie of the Montgomery family as Braden emphasizes the importance of his loved ones, especially the furry ones, on his journey to The Show. MLB's No. 23 prospect discusses how much he values getting his family out to any game he can and we meet his step father, Richard Willock, who shares his experience being from the South Side of Chicago and why Braden's journey being for the White Sox makes it that much more special for him.
Roch Cholowsky gets a visit from his childhood hero -- Brandon Crawford -- as the two-time World Series champ and four-time Gold-Glove winner heads back to his UCLA roots to get a first-hand look at the No. 1 overall pick by the White Sox in his year's Draft. The Bruins are playing in the final home game of the season on Mother's Day, and Cholowsky homers with his mom, Tika, in attendance. The 21-year-old -- who recently signed a record deal with Chicago -- shares how the dynamic shift towards family and camaraderie over his past two seasons elevated his play and the play of the entire team around him.
Meanwhile, Justin Lebron never has to guess where his family will be sitting in the stands because you can always find them in row 6 of the family section at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. His parents, Julio and Gladis, join the program and reveal the family's superstitions they practice whenever they go see Justin play. Saturday's No. 18 overall pick by the Reds shares how grateful he is for his family's sacrifice -- by his parents, two younger brothers and younger sister -- to show up at every game.
Baseball essentially runs in Ethan Holliday's blood as he is joined by his dad, seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, his older brother, Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, his mom, Leslee, and his younger siblings Gracyn and Reed. Matt emphasizes the importance of carrying a family name and shares how having his kids around allowed them to fall in love with the game. Ethan reminisces about always having Jackson around, playing together and shagging fly balls in the outfield together when they attended their dad's games. MLB's No. 17 prospect also opens up about why he values signing autographs and being present for young fans.
Jesús Made left his family and his native Dominican Republic for the first time last year and feeling homesick was a struggle he battled every day of his first season stateside. But MLB's No. 1 prospect has adjusted, and while he still misses his family, he's adapted better this season. Made opens up about how his family was pivotal to him as a person and his development in baseball and even gets a surprise visit from his parents, Flor and Maximo, and his sister. His dad shares the special gifts he noticed in his son at a young age, and the hard times that they needed to persevere through to get him along on his journey.
Each 30-minute episode, narrated by baseball content creator Dan Sarmiento (DSARM), offers an intimate look beyond the box score, chronicling breakthrough performances, setbacks and personal milestones as these rising stars take the next steps in their careers.
The final two episodes will air on Sunday, July 26, and Sunday, Aug. 2. The entire series can be streamed on Peacock.