Whether you love the history of the MLB mascot or the excitement they bring to the game of baseball, mascots are a staple of the game of baseball, and are one of most exciting parts of going to a game. Mascots deliver a fun and exciting experience for young fans of the game while also delivering some fun, goofy, and silly entertainment for adults.
Who’s the best MLB mascot? Let’s find out!
How Many Mascots Are There in MLB?
27 teams have mascots, with some teams having more than one. There are 36 MLB mascots spread across MLB, with the Philadelphia Phillies (2), New York Mets (2), Arizona Diamondbacks (2), Boston Red Sox (2), Cincinnati Reds (4), and Tampa Bay Rays (3) each having multiple mascots.
The Best MLB Mascots Ranked
27. Blooper – Atlanta Braves
One of the newest members of the MLB mascot club is the Atlanta Braves Blooper, who replaced Homer the Brave.
26. Southpaw – Chicago White Sox
The furry green mascot of the Chicago White Sox gets his name from the term used for a left-handed pitcher. Southpaw is a fan favorite and can be seen roaming Guaranteed Rate Field stands.
25. T.C. Bear – Minnesota Twins
Since his introduction in April 2000, T.C. Bear has been a staple of home games for the Minnesota Twins while wearing the T.C. hat. The current mascot is a spinoff of a former Twins sponsor, Hamm’s Beer Bear.
24. Billy the Marlin – Miami Marlins
When the Marlins arrived in Florida in 1993, Billy the Martin accompanied the team, getting his name Billy from being a Marlin, a type of billfish.
23. Clark the Cub – Chicago Cubs
After having a real live bear in 1916, the Chicago Cubs waited till 2014 to make Clark the Cub their first official mascot. Clark gets his name from Clark Street, where Wrigley Field is located.
22. Screech – Washington Nationals
When the fans speak, the team listens which Washington Nationals mascot Screech. The fans voted for Screech before the Nationals became the Nationals in a contest that allowed fans to vote for the team name and mascot.
21. Pirate Parrot – Pittsburgh Pirates
Pirate Parrot ranks among the oldest mascots in Major League Baseball after being introduced to the Pittsburgh Pirates fans in 1979. Pirate Parrot is based on Long John Silver’s parrot, Captain Flint.
20. Ace – Toronto Blue Jays
ACE gets its name from the term that defines a team’s top starting pitcher. Ace replaced Diamond as the full-time Toronto Blue Jays mascot and is often joined by part-time mascot Junior, his younger brother.
19. Slider – Cleveland Guardians
One of the more popular mascots is the Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider, who has been around the team since being introduced in 1990. Slider is a giant furry mascot that resembles other furry mascots such as Phillie Phanatic.
18. Raymond, DJ Kitty, & Stinger – Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays deliver their fans a trio of mascots to help pump them up during games while delivering excitement to young fans. DJ Kitty landed his gig based on the famous D.J. kitty found online. Raymond is a sea dog, while Stinger is a stingray.
17. Rangers Captain – Texas Rangers
Rangers Captain can be found all over the ballpark in Texas, including driving a mixture of vehicles to entertain the fans. The Texas Rangers mascot dons the number 72 in honor of the Ranger’s move to Dallas/Fort Worth in 1972.
16. Fred Bird (St. Louis Cardinals)
One exciting part of the St. Louis Cardinals experience at their home ballpark is Fredbird, who is often accompanied by Team Fredbird dishing out t-shirts and other apparel to young fans.
15. Lou Seal – San Francisco Giants
Lou Seal lands his name in honor of the San Francisco Seals that were a part of the Pacific Coast League during the early to mid-1900s (1903-1957).
14. Mr. Redlegs, Gapper, Mr. Red, & Rosie Red – Cincinnati Reds
The more, the merrier, which is the case with MLB teams with more than one mascot. The Reds, who have baseball-style head mascots, interchange all four during the season. The group includes Mr. Redlegs, one of the most popular mascots around Major League Baseball.
13. Stomper – Oakland A’s
Stomper was created as a cartoon Elephant in 1997 based on Oakland A’s association with elephants. Stomper has been seen across the league, including at MLB All-Star games and T.V. commercials.
12. Paws – Detroit Tigers
Paws is the life of the party for fans of the Detroit Tigers. Paws rocks the standard Tigers jersey with a hat while changing costumes to meet the many themed nights celebrated in the MLB schedule.
11. Mariner Moose – Seattle Mariners
Mascots are all about the fans, including the young fans, and that’s how the Seattle Mariners landed Mariner Moose. Kid fans of the Mariners were asked to create the mascot, and Mariner Moose was the winning design. Mariner Moose can be seen driving an ATV all around the Mariners ballpark during game day.
10. Dinger – Colorado Rockies
Dinger the dinosaur was introduced to the Colorado Rockies fans on April 16th, 1994, after hatching from an egg in front of home fans. Dinger gets his name from the famous nickname of a home run called the “Dinger.”
9. Wally the Green Monster & Tessie – Boston Red Sox
When it comes to making money, Wally the Green Monster takes home the honor as one of the highest-earning mascots in MLB. Wally, who lives inside the green monster, welcomed his little sister Tessie to the fans in 2016 while gaining her name from the song “Tessie.”
8. Sluggerrr – Kansas City Royals
Possibly the strongest and most athletic mascot of the bunch, Sluggerrr, is a mascot created with a built-in crown as part of his head.
7. Bernie – Milwaukee Brewers
When looking for an entrance, it is hard to beat Bernie Brewer, who once used a slide to slide down into a beer mug. Now Bernie Brewer slides down onto a platform anytime the Milwaukee Brewers hit a home run.
6. Orbit – Houston Astros
The city of Houston has long been associated with NASA, which is how the Houston Astros mascot, Orbit, got his name and Alien-like appearance.
5. Swinging Friar – San Diego Padres
Landing his gig as a mascot of the Padres minor league team in the Pacific Coast League, Swinging Friar continued his fame as the team’s mascot when joining MLB in the 1969 season.
4. Baxter & Luchador (Arizona Diamondbacks)
The craziest group of mascots award goes to Baxter and Luchador of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Former MLB player, Jay Bell’s son is credited with creating D. Baxter the Bobcat when Bell played with the team during the 1998 MLB season. Now Baxter is joined by Luchador on game days at Chase Field.
3. Oriole Bird – Baltimore Orioles
While the name isn’t particularly creative, the Oriole Bird continues to be a fan favorite across Major League Baseball. Fans can find the Oriole Bird at Camden Yards stirring up atop the dugout or across the stadium. Oriole Bird is one of six MLB mascots in the Mascot Hall of Fame.
2. Mr. Met & Mrs. Met – New York Mets
One of the oldest mascots in Major League Baseball, Mr. Met is a staple of the New York Mets organization. Mr. Met and now Mrs. Met, are known across the game of baseball for their baseball heads.
1. Phillie Phanatic & Phoebe Phanatic – Philadelphia Phillies
The furry green mascot brings excitement and joy to fans across the game of baseball as well as his home fans of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phanatic lands his name from the fanatic while the team also introduced his mother, Phoebe Phanatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What MLB Teams Do Not Have Mascots?
The only three teams in Major League Baseball that do not have a mascot are the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the New York Yankees. However, these teams have had mascots at various times over their history.
For example, the Los Angeles Angels have had the Rally Monkey at various times, including their last two playoff appearances. Similarly, the Los Angeles Dodgers have had Bailey, the mascot of the Los Angeles Kings, at MLB games.
The New York Yankees also had a mascot for a short stint between 1979 and 1981.
How Much Do MLB Mascots Get Paid?
Pay varies based on the team and the number of scheduled game-day appearances. Other appearances include meet/greet, local team events, and other community events that might require the MLB mascot.
MLB mascots make anywhere from a couple hundred dollars an hour to $1,500-$2,000 per hour for the highest earning MLB mascots.
According to reports, Wally the Green Monster earns the highest pay per hour at $2,000, while multiple mascots make $450 per hour, including Mariner Moose, Ace, Stomper, Swinging Friar, and Slider.
Other MLB mascots commanding at least $1,000 an hour include:
- Mr. Red ($1,000 per hour)
- Mr. Redlegs ($1,000 per hour)
- Mr. Met ($1,500 per hour)
- Phillie Phanatic ($1,500 per hour)
- The Oriole Bird ($1,500 per hour)
- Rosie Red ($1,000 per hour)
- Orbit ($1,000 per hour)
- Baxter ($1,000 per hour)
- Rangers Captain ($1,500 per hour)
Who Is the Oldest MLB Mascot?
The honor goes to the New York Mets, Mr. Met. Mr. Met was the first MLB mascot introduced to the baseball world at Shea Stadium during the 1964 MLB season. Before arriving at Shea Stadium, Mr. Met appeared in New York Mets team programs during the 1963 MLB schedule.
Blooper, the Atlanta Braves mascot, is the youngest, taking center stage during the 2018 MLB schedule.
Which MLB Mascot Has a Baseball for a Head?
Multiple teams have MLB mascots with a baseball for a head. The list includes Mr. Met, Mrs. Met, Mr. Red, Mr. Redlegs, and Rosie Red.
Former Atlanta Braves mascot Homer the Brave also had a baseball head.
Why Did the New York Yankees Get Rid of Their Mascot?
While mascots have become a staple among most, if not all, top professional sports organizations, not every team has them, including three teams within Major League Baseball.
One such team is the historic New York Yankees. However, that wasn’t always the case.
After the Philadelphia Phillies’ success with the Phillie Phanatic and the New York Mets with Mr. Met, the Yankees introduced Dandy during the 1979 MLB season and kept him around till 1981.
Unfortunately, the unexpected death of Thurman Munson, who the mascot resembled, led to the Yankees organization electing to retire Dandy.
Munson died in a plane crash in 1979, and the Yankees elected not to allow Dandy to be seen by the fans at Yankee Stadium. His contract expired after the end of the 1981 MLB season.
Conclusion
In closing, Major League Baseball has many aspects, from fan-favorite baseball stars to amazing MLB stadiums to MLB records, but the MLB mascot stands out for all fans. MLB mascots are part of the game as any other aspect and can help rally the fans, create an electric atmosphere around the stadium, and drive new young fans to the game.
