The Best MLB In Stadium Giveaways of 2021
We’re at full capacity, baby! For better or worse, we’re going back to the ballpark! No longer socially distanced, no more mask mandates, it’s time to watch professional athletes play ball in person.
The 2021 season did not begin with full stadiums. Most teams played sans fans. So the second half of the 2021 season is the unofficial start of the 2021 promotional season.
What follows is our pick for the best promotional item from each Major League Baseball team. Theme nights that require extra tickets for promotional items are not included. Those aren’t true promotional items. Those are ticket extras.
Not every team has their promotions schedule posted. The Chicago Cubs are announcing promotions on a rolling basis. The Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays still have a TBA landing page. Hell, the Blue Jays are still playing in Buffalo so obviously not every team is offering their finest, free-est tchotchkes. So what follows is the best of what’s currently announced as of the first game of the second half of 2021. Play ball! But get there at least an hour before anyone plays ball to get that bobblehead!
Arizona Diamondbacks
Christian Sky-Walker Star Wars Bobblehead
August 14 and 15 vs San Diego Padres
The Diamondbacks do not have nearly enough giveaways. Hence we’re going with this Star Wars inspired bobblehead, available on consecutive game days.
Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuña Jr. Chain Giveaway
July 20 vs. San Diego Padres
The Braves appear to have a lot of giveaways but they actually have a lot of giveaways tied to specific ticket packages. That’s not cool. This chain is very cool. The Braves playing in the suburbs and not in Atlanta is not cool. Lots of cool and a bit more uncool about the Braves.
Baltimore Orioles
Oriole Bird Mascot Hall of Fame Bobblehead
August 7 vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The O’s have some of the best bobbleheads. We’re going with Oriole Bird Mascot Hall of Fame Bobblehead because mascots can’t disappoint you like other previously scheduled O’s promotional artists can.
Boston Red Sox
July 26 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
7,500 lucky pairs of feet will take home a pair of Xander Sox, red socks named in honor of Xander Bogaerts.
Chicago Cubs
August 8 vs. Chicago White Sox
The first 10,00 fans will receive a pack of Topps baseball cards. It’s not a bad giveaway, just not one of the best. We’re going with it since it’s the only promotion currently listed on the Cubs schedule. Like we mentioned in the intro, the Cubs and a few other clubs are announcing promotions on a rolling basis.
Chicago White Sox
September 10 vs. Boston Red Sox
This one is tough. The Sox have some of the best giveaways, specifically throwback jerseys and retro shirts. Oh, I almost forgot the 1960 replica scoreboard! But the sugar skull bobblehead stands out because skulls are cool.
Cincinnati Reds
August 7 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Reds have very good promotional giveaways and theme nights but this is the obvious pick since it rivals Minor League Baseball teams in terms of sheer mascot joy.
Cleveland Indians
August 28 vs. Boston Red Sox
Cleveland has some of the best in park specials, like $2 hot dogs and $2 pre-game beers. Their giveaways will be even better once they’re no longer the Indians.
Colorado Rockies
September 4 vs. Atlanta Braves
Vests are always a good giveaway and vests in Colorado in September seem like a good match.
Detroit Tigers
July 16 vs. Minnesota Twins
The Tigers have some of the best giveaways and this almost came in second. The kids hooded towel giveaway is great (the hood is a tiger head!), but that’s only for kids and most people in the Midwest only swim a few months of the year. Chips and dip, well us Midwesterners of all ages eat chips and dips year round.
Houston Astros
July 23 vs. Texas Rangers
I don’t feel OK recommending any bobbleheads of players because of the whole cheating aspect of the Astros so that really limits our Astros options. The Lone Star Series t-shirt is a good design so it gets this pick.
Kansas City Royals
September 4 vs. Chicago White Sox
The Royals have some of the best and most giveaways in the MLB. We initially wanted to recommend the Mensch on a Bench© bobblehead but that requires a special ticket so we’re going with the Bullpen Cart. Look at this thing! I want one!
Los Angeles Angels
August 31 vs. New York Yankees
The Angels are really leaning into their generational superstar with multiple Ohtani related items. We’re going with the Ohtani pillow over the Ohtani Haiwaiin shirt because the shirt is headache inducing and over the Ohtani cycle bobblehead, which features Ohtani riding a unicycle, because bobbleheads get knocked over and any specially designed bobblehead is more likely to get broken sooner rather than later. I’m writing this as an owner of two cats that have broken two not-standard bobbleheads.
Los Angeles Dodgers
July 22 vs. San Francisco Giants
I got a Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium Anniversary apron so that makes me a Dodgers fan and an expert on their giveaways. This is the best because short-sleeved hoodies seem pointless. I’m a fan.
Miami Marlins
2022 Magnet Schedule and Kids Bat & Ball Set
October 3 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Marlins have a bobblehead museum in the stadium. You’d think they’d have the best bobblehead giveaways. They do not. They have one, a pretty cool Miguel Rojas Big Cleat Bobble presented by Ocean Bank, but it doesn’t stand out compared to other options on this list. We’re going with the final game of the season for our pick since everyone gets the 2022 magnet schedule and the first 5,000 fans 14 and under get a bat and ball set. The ticket page does not specify that the bat and ball giveaway is after the game which means we might have a few thousand kids with plastic weapons having a very good time at a most likely meaningless (the Marlins are currently in last place in the NL East and the Phillies are a few games out of Wild Card contention) game.
Milwaukee Brewers
August 7 vs. San Francisco Giants
The Brew Crew have the best bobblehead giveaways in baseball, hell, they have two Bob Uecker Bobblehead offerings this season! But like the Braves, some are tied to specific ticket packages. For example, the September 25 Uecker giveaway is tied to a special WWE Night ticket package (I love, love, love this bobblehead!) but the September 26 talking Uecker bobblehead is for the first 35,000 fans. But we’re not picking a bobblehead. We’re going with a Brewers cooler bag offered to the first 10,000 21+ fans on August 7. It seems appropriate to go with a beer related item for the Brewers. Finally, if the snapback Milwaukee Bears hat wasn’t tied to a ticket package, it would be oru obvious choice for best Brewers giveaway.
Minnesota Twins
September 10 vs. Kansas City Royals
They’re giving away Zubaz pants. Yes, Zubaz pants popularised in the late 80s and early 90s. And they’re giving away six different sizes. Most ballpark clothing giveaways are either small or XL. Thank you, Twins. People are more than small and XL.
New York Mets
July 24 and 25 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
The Mets know their fans. This makes me like the Mets.
New York Yankees
Yankees 2000 World Champions Commemorative Beer Stein
September 3 vs. Baltimore Orioles
The Bronx Bombers don’t have very good giveaways. When you’re the most popular team in baseball, you don’t really need good giveaways to bring anyone in. We’re going with the stein because it’s a nice reminder that Yankees haven’t won a World Series in a long time, a long time (2009) if you’re a Yankees fan. As a Cubs and White Sox fan, it’s not a long time at all.
Oakland Athletics
August 7 vs. Texas Rangers
The A’s haven’t announced all giveaways but it’ll be hard to top a foam trident. No other team will be giving away a foam trident. Kudos, Athletics.
Philadelphia Phillies
September 12 vs. Colorado Rockies
The Phillies have some good giveaways, specifically their stylized towel and old school gym bag, but we’re going with the picnic blanket. After 18 months congregating outdoors, this giveaway is both timely and useful.
Pittsburgh Pirates
September 10 vs. Washington Nationals
Along with the White Sox, the Pirates have the best promotional t-shirt giveaways. I would spend actual American dollars on the Mario Zucca designed PNC Park shirt. This was difficult to choose since most of their Free Shirt Friday shirts look good.
San Diego Padres
August 22 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Kids backpacks are always a welcome free item and this one incorporates the old school friar logo.
San Francisco Giants
2 for 1 Flight Voucher presented by Alaska Airlines
September 4 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
If you take advantage of this giveaway, your ticket pays for itself. Definitely the most valuable, if used, Major League Baseball giveaway of 2021.
Seattle Mariners
Mariners Pitcher & Cup Set Night
July 23 vs. Oakland Athletics
This wins for the absurd factor. After the game, thousands of people will take home a plastic pitcher, like for lemonade and iced tea, and four plastic cups. This has to be a nightmare to distribute! I love this idea! It’s so impractical! The next night features a really cool throwback jersey so if you’d rather get that than some pretty large kitchenware, July 24 is your night.
St. Louis Cardinals
August 1 vs. Minnesota Twins
The Cardinals have way too good giveaways for a team that’s always in contention. We almost went with the Cardinals themed hockey jersey but going with the kids mitt since any youngster that receives this will most likely keep it and use it until they grow out of it.
Tampa Bay Rays
September 5 vs. Minnesota Twins
Kids under 14 get an arm sleeve. Do better, Tampa Bay.
Texas Rangers
Rangers Powder Blue Beach Towel, presented by Whataburger
August 29 vs. Houson Astros
I want a Rangers towel with a Whataburger logo.
Toronto Blue Jays
N/A
The Blue Jays are currently the Buffalo Blue Jays. No giveaways are on the schedule but can you blame them?
Washington Nationals
September 13 vs. Miami Marlins
This is the Nats merch you’ll be seeing all fall and spring on the Metro over the next year.
Feature image courtesy of the Los Angeles Angels
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