Alex Cohen will be the Chicago Cubs broadcaster for the Tokyo Series

Just over a month after he was officially tapped to be Boog Sciambi's full-time backup commentator, fan-favorite Iowa Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen is getting a big assignment. He'll be traveling with the Chicago Cubs to Japan to serve as Marquee Sports Network's commentator for the Tokyo Series, joining Jim Deshaies and Taylor McGregor. Viewers will hear his voice during both the exhibition games against the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants on March 14 and 16, as well as the two regular season matchups against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 18-19.

During that time, Sciambi will be busy covering the Big-12 men's college basketball tournament under contract for ESPN. By the time the tournament ends on March 15, both he and the team agreed that the travel turnaround would be too much to be worth it. It's an unfortunate circumstance for the Cubs' main broadcaster, but an incredible opportunity for the longtime voice of the I-Cubs to further ingrain himself in franchise history.

Fans have become endeared to Cohen through his broadcasts both on TV and the radio over the better part of a decade which presented a deep, well-honed analysis of the Cubs farm system. His hard work paid off in the minors, making him the 2023 Ballpark Digest Broadcaster of the Year and earning him a call-up last summer to call games for the big-league squad in July. Not only was his promotion to full-time backup well-earned but it was well-appreciated by the fanbase for all he's done to connect with them over the years.

Already, he's met the moment in the big leagues too. Aside from his coverage of spring training this year, he got to call the Cubs' historic combined no-hitter last year. In Tokyo, he'll be a part of more history, covering the first game the Northsiders have played in Japan since 2000 — the first time any regular season MLB game was played in the Land of the Rising Sun.

With top prospect Matt Shaw planned to travel overseas too, it's all the more poetic that Cohen will be on the mic for his first major league game. At Triple-A last year, he got a front-row seat to the rise of the organization's #1 prospect as he adjusted to the highest rung of the farm system with a .298/.395/.534/142 wRC+ slash line. He'll get to put his extensive minor-league analysis to work immediately to introduce Cubs fans to their new third baseman.

The future is bright for Alex Cohen with the Chicago Cubs

Commentating in Tokyo will be a pivotal moment for Cohen in ensuring he becomes a fixture of Cubs broadcasts for years to come, whether on television or the radio. Thanks to Sciambi's commitments to ESPN, he'll get plenty more opportunities throughout the years to talk fans through games too. It's just a great example of Marquee promoting from within and one that could lead to even brighter things, whether he one day takes over television broadcasts altogether or takes a bigger role on the radio side of things.

The harsh reality is that Hall-of-Famer Pat Hughes won't be the voice fans hear over the radio forever. While that change may still be years down the line, it's hard not to imagine Cohen as a natural fit for the job, even over Pat and Ron Coomer's divisive broadcast partner Zach Zaidman. Whatever happens, it'd be nice to see Cohen continue to climb the ladder given the connection he's already forming with viewers and listeners.

Cohen, Deshaies, and McGregor will cover the exhibition games against the Tigers and Giants in Japan starting at 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. CT on Marquee, while the two Dodgers games will both air at 5:10 a.m. CT.