VaynerSports Chairman Gary Vaynerchuk has announced that the dynamic sports agency, known for its presence in the football world, will make an expansion into baseball. Veteran baseball agent Greg Genske and the GEM Agency will join VaynerSports as of today.
The new division, to be known as VaynerBaseball, will be led by Genske and GEM agents Joe Mizzo, Eric Izen, Alex Hicks and former MLB All-Star Vernon Wells.
VaynerSports entered the agency world in the realm of the National Football League back in 2016 and has followed an upward trajectory ever since signing players such as: Kyle Allen (Carolina Panthers) and Pro-Bowlers Allen Robinson (Chicago Bears) and Leonard Williams (New York Giants).
The move into baseball marks a big expansion by VaynerSports and the agency’s first move into a major North American sport other than professional football.
Said Gary Vaynerchuk, “Today is a marquee moment in the world of athlete representation as we expand our offering into the world of baseball. When you add someone with the negotiation savvy of Greg [Genske] to the disruption my brother AJ, and I bring along with Mike Neligan’s success marketing high profile athletes, you create an absolute force t be reckoned with.”
Vaynerchuk references VaynerSports EVP of Sales & Marketing Mike Neligan. Neligan joined the agency in 2019 and helped introduce Gary and his brother AJ to Genske and the GEM Agency. Neligan broke into the industry in baseball, having worked with world class players such as Derek Jeter, Clayton Kershaw and Dexter Fowler, among others.
As for AJ Vaynerchuk, he will continue in his role as VaynerSports’ CEO and oversee the entire operation, while still focusing on the growth of VaynerFootball.
VaynerSports will continue with its headquarters in Hudson Yards in New York City and maintain presence in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.