Top 10 Greatest Baseball Movies Ever Made

Top 10 Greatest Baseball Movies of All Time

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most entertaining and iconic movies about the American pastime. We’ll be excluding documentaries, as there are enough of those to make up their own list.

#10: “The Sandlot” (1993)

The early ‘90s saw its share of wholesome, family-friendly baseball flicks make their way into our hearts. We still have a soft spot for big league fantasies like “Angels in the Outfield” and “Rookie of the Year,” but the MVP of the bunch is as far removed from the Majors as it gets. “The Sandlot” isn’t necessarily concerned with the mechanics of baseball, but it thrives in celebrating the game as a formative experience. Even with its 1960s setting, the nostalgic blast of watching a group of neighborhood boys pass the time is enough to make anyone cling onto their own youthful memories. It’s one of modern cinema’s most authentic portrayals of childhood adventure, and it’s always a pleasure when a new generation discovers it.

#9: “42” (2013)

There are few figures who changed American and sports history the way Jackie Robinson did, and this biographical treatment does justice to both the athlete and the man. Following Robinson’s transition to the Brooklyn Dodgers, “42” shines in capturing Robinson’s reluctance as someone who’s about to alter the world as he knows it. The humane performance of the late Chadwick Boseman provides incredible insight into Robinson’s moral character, his commitment to nonviolence, and, most importantly, his love of the game. With every achievement and jeer from the unrelenting crowd, “42” is a complicated piece of history unfolding before our eyes. Never talking down to the audience, the modern cinematic touch provides Robinson’s story with lessons we can still learn from decades later.

#8: “The Pride of the Yankees” (1942)

As long as we’re discussing terrific movies about baseball’s all-time greats, how could we forget about the one that built the foundation for the sports biopic? Arriving just a year after his untimely passing, this cinematic epitaph of Lou Gehrig stars Gary Cooper alongside a handful of real-life Yankees as themselves. As such, the determination to recapture his monumental career can be felt in every frame, from the team’s athleticism on the field to Cooper’s quiet humility off it. Between “The Pride of the Yankees” and 1949’s “The Stratton Story,” director Sam Wood knows how to make us feel like we’re witnessing greatness. And Cooper’s headstrong delivery of Gehrig’s farewell address ensures that even the saddest stories can give us something to feel good about.

#7: “Major League” (1989)

Steeped in silliness and loads of heart, “Major League” is one of the funniest and most quotable sports movies ever made. And for good reason. Following the poorly assembled Cleveland Indians as they mount a playoff run to spite their greedy owner, it’s not at all shy about painting these alleged pros as the most lovable losers the genre’s ever seen. Despite its familiar setup, “Major League” soars due to its invigorating humor and the commitment of its ensemble cast, including the legendary Bob Uecker as the team’s broadcaster. Becoming an instant classic, Cleveland baseball coincidentally experienced a major resurgence in the years that followed. We’re not saying Pedro Cerrano’s voodoo rituals had anything to do with that, but we’re not not saying that.

#6: “The Bad News Bears” (1976)

Baseball and raunchy comedy are kind of a perfect match, and it’s movies like “The Bad News Bears” that exemplify why. Starring Walter Matthau at his curmudgeonly best, this classic follows an ex-minor leaguer saddled with coaching a team of talentless, foul-mouthed middle schoolers. It’s a no-holds-barred extravaganza whose side-splitting blend of offensive and endearing humor undoubtedly created the template for sports comedies to follow. While not every joke has aged particularly well, the performances of Matthau and his young co-stars are so natural that it’s hard not to be won over by the movie’s ingenuity. Its hard-edged exterior conceals an honest and thoughtful message about resisting authority and doing things your own way, not to mention the all-important lesson that winning isn’t everything.

#5: “The Natural” (1984)

In the eyes of its most passionate fans, the American pastime is a romantic game, if not a mythological one. Both of these attributes come to define this adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s debut novel. Here, Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs, an aging slugger who returns to the pros after a lengthy hiatus and brings a fading team back to life with his incomparable talent. Although it takes significant risks by completely altering it’s source material’s ending, “The Natural” is an earnest story of heroism with baseball baked into its DNA. With an iconic Randy Newman score turning Roy’s theatrics into the stuff of legend, the fireworks it leaves in its path are bright enough to make any baseball hopeful turn their dreams into actions.

#4: “A League of Their Own” (1992)

This historical drama recounts an overlooked chapter of baseball history, but one whose contributions saved the game when World War II threatened its existence. A fictionalized tale of the All-American Girls Pro Baseball League, “A League of Their Own” is a gold standard in demonstrating what makes a sports team so rootable. Thanks to the chemistry of an all-star cast including Geena Davis, Madonna, and Tom Hanks, it’s one of the sports genre’s most purely entertaining offerings. It’s a dynamic portrayal of women in sports capped off by Penny Marshall’s thrilling direction, which gives each game a true sense of tension despite bigger battles being fought off the field. Need we mention it also gave us one of the most time-honored quotes in movie history?

#3: “Moneyball” (2011)

Zeroing in on an underappreciated aspect of the game, “Moneyball” is arguably the best baseball movie for non-baseball fans. This retelling of the Oakland Athletics’ 2002 season is bolstered by an intelligent script that turns mathematical analysis into first-rate art. Brad Pitt assumes command in more ways than one as general manager Billy Beane. With help from his timid assistant, Beane sets out to overcome financial restraints by fielding overlooked players with values that other clubs don’t pay attention to. His real-life approach undoubtedly changed baseball as we know it, and “Moneyball” honors its subject with a quietly rebellious tone that leaves us eager to see the A’s succeed. An underdog story told with vulnerability and courage, it’s also one that earned six Oscar nominations.

#2: “Field of Dreams” (1989)

The otherworldly essence of baseball has produced some of the most iconic moments in sports history. It’s very easy to count the emotional highs of “Field of Dreams” among them, as it literalizes the sport’s spirituality to achieve something much bigger than itself. When a mysterious voice instructs Ray Kinsella to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield, he soon plays host to ghosts of the game’s checkered history. The second chance Ray provides his guests to make amends with the past allows him to do the same, encapsulating the game’s carefree yet life-affirming nature to a T. Aided by one of the most touching endings in movie history, it just goes to show that, sometimes, seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Everybody Wants Some!!” (2016)

Baseball Has Never Been as Laid Back as It Is Here

“Sugar” (2008)

Baseball May Be the American Pastime, But the American Dream Comes at a Cost

“Eight Men Out” (1988)

This Take on the Black Sox Scandal is a Great Companion to “Field of Dreams”

“The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings” (1976)

An Entire Generation of Unsung Heroes Get Their Due in This Road Trip Comedy

“The Rookie” (2002)

Baseball Magic and Disney Magic Go Hand-in-Hand

#1: “Twilight” (2008)

Has there ever been a better pairing than vampires, baseball, and Muse? Well…yes, there has. We’re totally kidding.

#1: “Bull Durham” (1988)

Kevin Costner and baseball go together like a hand and a glove, as evidenced by his work in 1999’s “For Love of the Game.” But his passion for the game is at its strongest in “Bull Durham.” This rom-com finds Costner as “Crash” Davis, a veteran catcher assigned to prep pitcher “Nuke” LaLoosh for the big leagues. With both vying for Annie, a groupie with her own teaching style, their love triangle wrings out as many swoonworthy moments as it does hard truths. “Bull Durham” laments the dreams that most ballplayers spend their whole lives chasing but never fulfill. But its charming performances and hilarious on-field sequences also make it an empowering, genre-defining salute to the magic that makes millions fall in love with baseball.



What’s your favorite baseball movie? Is there one we forgot to mention? Let us know down in the comments!