From Boardrooms to Ballparks: How Newmark’s John Yandle Balanced $4.1B in Deals and MLB History

Discover how John Yandle balanced a 40-year career as a top Newmark broker with throwing batting practice for MLB home run king Barry Bonds.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 20, 2026, 8:26 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Bisnow

A Storied Double Life Between the Mound and the Office

As Major League Baseball's 2026 spring training gets underway, 71-year-old John Yandle continues to embody a unique professional duality. For four decades, the Newmark Executive Managing Director has successfully balanced the high-stakes world of commercial real estate with the physical demands of being a left-handed batting practice pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. While many in his position would have chosen one path, Yandle’s career has been defined by a relentless determination to excel in both the boardroom and on the pitching mound. To date, he has facilitated over $4.1 billion in transactions while simultaneously serving as a vital training resource for some of the greatest athletes in baseball history.

The Strategic Partnership with Barry Bonds

One of the most notable chapters in Yandle’s dual career involves his relationship with home run king Barry Bonds. The legendary hitter, known for his unprecedented on-base percentages, utilized Yandle to create highly challenging practice scenarios that simulated real-game difficulty. Bonds would often engage in mock games with Yandle, who would unleash an arsenal of curveballs and sliders to push the slugger’s limits. This rigorous preparation was so central to the hitter’s success that during his 2018 jersey retirement speech, Bonds explicitly credited Yandle with helping him achieve his record of 762 home runs. This connection even crossed into Yandle's real estate work, such as when he leveraged a batting practice session to build favor with top-tier clients from Bank of America.

A Versatile Portfolio Across Asset Classes

Yandle’s success in real estate is rooted in a "little bit of everything" approach that began in 1985. Starting with automotive deals, he quickly expanded his expertise to include retail in Palo Alto and large-scale land deals in South San Jose. Throughout his career, which includes tenures at Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE before joining Newmark, Yandle has managed more than 25 million square feet of leased and sold property. His ability to navigate disparate markets ranging from industrial and research facilities to high-end residential and office spaces demonstrates a versatile strategic insight that has allowed him to remain a top producer for over 40 years.