Wesley's Best Baseball Movies of All Time

If you've been reading my stories for a period of time on Vocal or are subscribed to me, you know that I love baseball. Not only that, but I love watching a good, heartfelt baseball movie. You don't see many of those kinds of movies these days. The 2025 MLB regular season is right around the corner and in this story, I'll be sharing three of my personal favorite baseball movies. These selections are in no specific order, but baseball documentaries will not be included on this list. Alright, let's play ball!

The Sandlot

This iconic movie celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) and made $34 million dollars at the box office. Set in the 60s in Los Angeles, Scott Smalls moves into a new neighborhood and is encouraged by his parents to make friends. He joins a group of boys to play baseball at the local sandlot. Iconic lines such as "You're killing me, Smalls", will forever be in the minds of fans of the game. If I had a favorite character, I would say Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. He was being such a great friend to Smalls. This movie will make you laugh but hit you in the feels. I know at least half of the lines from this movie.

The Rookie

Next on my list is the Disney movie, The Rookie. It was released in March 2002 and starred Dennis Quaid, who portrayed Jim Morris. When I was in the eighth grade, I had no idea that this movie was based on a true story. It was May 2003 and there were two weeks left before summer vacation. So, I was in one of my classes and this movie was so good. The movie was based on the story about Jim Morris, who debuted in Major League Baseball at the age of 35 after being a high school baseball coach and chemistry teacher. He was first drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, but his dream came to a halt due to a shoulder injury. Morris would later make his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now the Tampa Bay Rays) on September 18, 1999, against the Texas Rangers. He would play for two seasons before retiring in May 2000. As of January 2025, Morris is 61 years old and has written two books.

42

Last but not least is a movie that should be shown in schools everywhere. 42, which was released in 2013, tells the story of legendary Dodgers player, Jackie Robinson, portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman. Before his iconic role in Black Panther, the late actor's portrayal of Robinson was outstanding. This movie also starred the legendary Harrison Ford. If Jackie Robinson hadn't broken the color barrier in 1947, players such as Ichiro, Adrian Beltre, and Shohei Ohtani wouldn't be playing in Major League Baseball today. He opened many doors to not only other black players, but players from different nationalities. I cosplayed as the legendary player last year on Jackie Robinson Day, which is held every April 15. On that day, all players from all 30 teams wear the number 42 in his honor. He was the first player to have his number retired by all MLB teams. Black history is American history, so Jackie Robinson's story needs and should be told in schools everywhere.

What are some of your favorite baseball movies of all time? Also, which baseball player would you like to see portrayed on tv or film? Sound off in the comments below and be sure to like this story. Also, follow me on my socials. Finally, please send me a one-off tip at the end of this story to support my work as I continue to write and publish more stories.