Play Ball Weekend is a global initiative by Major League Baseball (MLB) to promote baseball and softball participation. The event, taking place from June 5-7, 2023, will see over 200 activities hosted by MLB, MLB Clubs, MiLB, Partner League Clubs, and youth league partners across six continents. The initiative aims to inspire and engage youth from diverse backgrounds, closing equity gaps in accessing the game, and encouraging families and communities to participate in baseball and softball.
The event will feature two launch events, one at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on June 3rd, and another in Pittsburgh on June 5th, where MLB Youth Ambassador Coach Ballgame will lead activities with former Pittsburgh Pirates players. All 30 MLB Clubs will wear a special PLAY BALL patch on their caps during the weekend, and over 60,000 Franklin PLAY BALL sets will be distributed for casual play in communities, playgrounds, and backyards.
The initiative is supported by Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who was named MLB's first-ever Major League PLAY BALL Ambassador in 2025. Other notable figures involved include first-ballot Hall of Famers CC Sabathia and Ken Griffey Jr., and former All-Star Harold Reynolds, who will co-host Play Ball Live powered by Zoom on MLB's YouTube channel and X account.
Play Ball Weekend will also include a series of new marketing assets under the 'Let's All PLAY BALL' campaign, highlighting the shared joy and community of youth baseball and softball. MLB is partnering with new and existing partners to celebrate the event and incentivize play, including a surprise glove giveaway of over 700 Rawlings baseball and softball gloves at three MiLB PLAY BALL events.
Additionally, MLB continues to expand the reach of Play Ball Weekend through virtual events using the Diamond Kinetics mobile app. Kids can participate in virtual games, match their swing against Big League All-Stars, take interactive hitting lessons, and join challenges for a chance to win MLB prizes. The app offers a whole new world of fun hitting experiences through PLAY BALL-themed activities that merge real-world swings with digital-mobile content and rewards.
Play Ball Weekend is part of MLB's signature youth engagement initiative, PLAY BALL, which launched in 2015 under the direction of Commissioner Manfred. Since its inception, baseball and softball participation has grown significantly, with casual participation in baseball for ages 6+ increasing by 144% since 2014. In each of the last five years, baseball and softball have been the most participated team sport in the U.S. among kids aged 6-12.
The PLAY BALL initiative serves as the League's youth umbrella, with all associated programs and events deriving from the initiative's consistent, simple message: However You Play Ball, PLAY BALL! More information on the program and future event updates can be found at PlayBall.org, accessible via MLB.com, USABaseball.com, and USASoftball.com.
