From Press Release
Annual April 15th Recognition of Jackie Robinson Day Will Highlight His Influence on the Sport and Contributions to Society
CC Sabathia, Andruw Jones, Michael Harris II, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke, Victor Scott II, Maya Brady and Jayda Coleman Participate in Original MLB Content
New York Mets Visit Los Angeles Dodgers on ESPN For Nationally Televised
Jackie Robinson Day Matchup
Major League Baseball will celebrate Jackie Robinson’s life and legacy with a series of initiatives alongside the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF), MLB Clubs and additional partners as part of the league’s annual Jackie Robinson Day commemoration taking place on Wednesday, April 15th, the 79th anniversary of his Dodger debut.
As part of its MLB Together program, the league’s tribute begins with a powerful visual of unity. In what has become one of the most significant traditions in baseball, all on-field personnel will wear Jackie’s iconic Number 42 in Dodger Blue on their uniform (regardless of their primary team colors) and royal blue “42” socks from Stance. The teams along with umpires, also will honor Jackie by wearing New Era Caps with a “42” side patch. In addition, the recognition will include commemorative base jewels, lineup cards and “Breaking Barriers” batting practice shirts.
MLB is introducing a new campaign titled, “We Are Jackie,” which will feature a new dedicated spot across MLB Media outlets, including MLB Network, MLB.com and MLB.TV; MLB broadcast partners including FOX, ESPN and NBC; across MLB owned social channels and in all ballparks on April 15th. The spot, which is available HERE, is narrated by Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, who speaks about Jackie’s unique combination of courage, determination and excellence. As the United States of America approaches its semiquincentennial, Sabathia’s narration recognizes the extraordinary impact of Jackie breaking the color barrier when he says, “Jackie is not just baseball history, he is America’s history.” The initiative will also feature a social media interview series with a lineup of current and former players—including Sabathia, 2026 Hall of Fame Inductee Andruw Jones, 2022 Jackie Robinson NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II, Athletics outfielders Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke, Victor Scott II of the St. Louis Cardinals and AUSL players Maya Brady and Jayda Coleman—who share personal insights into how Jackie’s legacy has shaped their careers and their own impact on the game today.
MLB Clubs will be recognizing Jackie Robinson Day locally in their ballparks with activation details at the end of the release. Each ballpark will showcase a rendition of the “We Are Jackie” Campaign Spot that will be featured on the scoreboard, HERE.
On April 15th, ESPN will exclusively air the New York Mets vs. the reigning World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium starting at 10:00 p.m. ET. In addition to featuring Jackie’s Dodgers, the game will feature the return of Joe Buck to ESPN’s baseball coverage and include a Jackie Robinson Day essay by longtime Major League player and broadcaster Doug Glanville.
Established on the historic site of Dodgertown, the Jackie Robinson Training Complex (JRTC) located in Vero Beach, Florida is operated by MLB and continues to serve as the primary stage for the league’s youth development initiatives throughout the year and several events surrounding Jackie Robinson Day. Events in connection with Jackie Robinson Day taking place at the JRTC include:
Trailblazer Series: Now in its ninth iteration, the Trailblazer Series will take place April 17th-18th. The event provides girls, aged 12-14, who play baseball with development and educational opportunities centered around the spirit of the game’s quintessential trailblazer.
PLAY BALL: In conjunction with the Trailblazer Series, MLB will host a special Jackie Robinson Day PLAY BALL event on April 18th, giving over 200 kids aged 5-12 from local Indian River County the opportunity to participate in diamond sports. This event will be led by the Trailblazer Series athletes volunteering as coaches alongside MLB PLAY BALL Ambassador Justin Sherman.
MiLB Game: The Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas will meet at Holman Stadium on Jackie Robinson Day, bringing the community together for an evening of baseball, history and impact.
Other events in connection with Jackie Robinson Day include:
MLB ID Tour: Spanning 19 cities and 20 stops, this talent tour focuses on the graduating classes of 2029 and 2030 within underserved communities. The journey, which began on January 20th in Tempe, Arizona, will take place in Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina on Saturday, April 18th and in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday, April 19th.
Nike RBI Museum Trip: Local Nike RBI participants visited the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City on Saturday, April 11th to learn about Jackie’s legacy and financial literacy – younger fans can engage with educational activities at MLBTogether.com/42.
This commitment to the future is reinforced by partners like Capital One which has donated over $1 million to the Jackie Robinson Foundation since the Capital One Walk-Offs program began in 2022 and will continue its support this season by donating $1,000 for every walk-off win during the 2026 Season. MLB The Show 26 will once again sell game packs where proceeds will go to the JRF and showcase Jackie’s legacy within gameplay.
Emmy Award-winning MLB Network Analyst Harold Reynolds will interview Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell and pitcher Brent Suter at the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City for a feature on Wednesday’s edition of MLB Tonight: National Pregame Show at 5:00 p.m. ET. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a product of UCLA like Jackie, will also join Wednesday’s National Pregame Show to discuss Robinson’s impact across baseball and beyond.
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke Baseball’s color barrier when he made his historic MLB debut. Every April 15th, baseball honors Jackie’s legacy by celebrating his life, values and accomplishments. The extensive and unified League-wide show of support has included retiring Jackie’s number throughout the Majors in 1997; dedicating April 15th as Jackie Robinson Day each year since 2004; and wearing number 42 on the field, a tradition that began with an idea by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. in 2007, which expanded to all on-field personnel wearing 42 for Jackie Robinson Day games since 2009.
