Three of Our Favorite Baseball Promos from the MLB Season (So Far)

By Brendan Menapace

Baseball is back, baby, and it's faster than ever. Whether you're pro- or anti-pitch clock, there's a lot to be excited about with the return of the Major League Baseball season.

Here in Philadelphia, we're pretty excited about our NL champion Phillies hopefully making it back to the World Series. But, all across the league, I think we can all agree that the return of baseball means the return of fun promos.

So, we didn't go overboard with an Opening Day examination of promos across the league, but as the dust settled, a few games have given us things to look at, especially here at home.

But, first, let's go to Cleveland.

A Very Tasty Championship Belt

We all love the little games between innings, even if the league is trying to speed up the run time of a ball game. In Cleveland, the Guardians went all-out with their "Hot Dog Derby" Championship Belt, where hot dogs race each other around the field. With each win, the victor will receive this splashy wrestling-style belt until the next race is held.

🚨 Tell your friends 🚨

Hold onto your buns, @CleGuardians fans! Introducing the new Hot Dog Derby Championship Belt! The winner of each race holds the belt for 24hrs until the next race. Who will claim the title on Opening Day?! Let the games begin! 🌭🔥 pic.twitter.com/yUeiii36tG

— Guardians Hot Dogs (@CleHotDogs) April 6, 2023

Baseball fans know there's a lot more to the ballpark experience than just the crack of the bat and pop of the glove. This is fun whether you're a baseball stat nerd or just here for some racing hot dogs.

Now, onto the shinier stuff.

Phillies NL Championship Rings

I actually got to go to the game on Sunday and watch the team receive their 2022 National League Champion rings. Being that I'm in this business, I was of course studying the ring on the Phillies' enormous new Jumbotron, trying to look at every bejeweled detail.

I love how they incorporated the player's number with the Phillies font, the series scores leading to the pennant victory, and even a reference to Calum Scott and Tiesto's remix of "Dancing On My Own," which the team used as their hype song throughout the postseason.

Get a closer look at the National League Championship rings 👀 pic.twitter.com/1FNCHTbUh4

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 9, 2023

Underneath the top of the ring, which has the Phillies liberty bell logo made out of sapphires, there's an NL Championship trophy inlaid in a piece of leather from a baseball used in Game 5 of the NLCS.

Like the new NBA trophies, there are some cool little Easter eggs on the ring, too, like a ring of 63 rubies to represent the number of players who would receive the ring, or the 96 diamonds that spell out "Champions" to represent the team's 96 total wins through the NLCS.

Presenting the National League Championship ring 💍 pic.twitter.com/lSutsIMPVX

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 9, 2023

Finally, let's look to the future.

Possibly Our Favorite Bobblehead Ever?

Baseball teams represent so much of a city's identity. Atlanta has such a rich history of music, and Outkast is one of the greatest acts to come out of the city. To commemorate Outkast Night, the Braves will give away a bobblehead featuring Big Boi and Andre 3000 in Braves gear.

Atlanta Braves announce Outkast night pic.twitter.com/koxj4Mg7nd

— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) February 28, 2023

There's not a ton to analyze here, like the number of jewels on a ring. It's just really cool, and brings out a lot more than just baseball fandom, connecting the fans and team to the city. This is the most you will ever hear me compliment the Atlanta Braves, too.

As the season goes on, we'll continue to look around the league at some of the most creative, fun, and eye-catching promos. We're sure there will be a lot to talk about.