Best Baseball Movies Of All Time: 19 Films You Can’t Miss

Best Baseball Movies (Top Picks At A Glance)

There are many great baseball movies to choose from if you’re looking for a good flick to watch about America’s favorite pastime. All of these films are well-made and provide a great look at different aspects of the game.

Whether you’re interested in the drama and competition of professional baseball or the more emotional and personal story of someone playing the game as a child, there’s a movie out there for you. So if you’re in the mood for a baseball movie, take your pick from the list below and enjoy!

Moneyball Movie Description

MLB’s Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) has an “a-ha!” moment and realizes that everything the baseball world knows is wrong.

With a limited budget, Beane must get creative if he wants his team to compete with the richer clubs. Enter Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an Ivy League graduate who helps Billy scout undervalued players that have the potential to be game-winners.

The Sandlot Movie Description

Smalls (Thomas Guiry) moves to a new neighborhood and makes friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. The boys have a series of linked comedic and touching adventures.

For example, when Smalls takes a ball from his stepdad without permission and it gets hit over a fence, the boys then have to stealthily find a way to get the ball back.

Field Of Dreams Movie Description

Iowa farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears a voice in his cornfield one night that tells him “If you build it, he will come.”

Annie (Amy Madigan), his wife, supports him as he builds a baseball diamond on their land to bring the ghosts of great players back to play ball. Along with “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, other former baseball players return.

Major League Movie Description

Rachel Phelps, the former showgirl and new owner of the Cleveland Indians, plans to move the team to Miami. However, in order to do so she must first break her lease with the city of Cleveland. To achieve this goal, Phelps hires incompetent players that she believes will plummet ticket sales.

These players include pitcher Rick Vaughn who is nearly blind and catcher Jake Taylor who struggles with injuries frequently. Although her intentions were malicious, Rachel’s actions unintentionally created a strong sense of community among the team members which turned them into potential winners.”

The Rookie Movie Description

Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) had his pitching career ruined by a shoulder injury twelve years ago, never making it out of the minor leagues.

Now he’s a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas. His team makes him a deal, if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major league organization again.

42 Movie Description

In 1946, Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, making him the first black player in Major League Baseball. Both he and manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) faced pressure from all sides: the public, the press, and other players.

Despite this Robinson showed immense restraint by not reacting angrily to racism and letting his talent speak for itself instead.

Bull Durham Movie Description

As the Bulls minor league baseball team begins their season, Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) singles out new recruit Ebby Calvin Laloosh (Tim Robbins), christening him “Nuke.”

Nuke receives guidance from veteran player Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), who helps him to control his erratic pitching and teaches him to follow the catcher’s lead. As the season progresses, Nuke becomes inspired by the religion of baseball and begins to excel on the field.

A League Of Their Own Movie Description

Joining the first female professional baseball league, two sisters find themselves competing against each other to help make the league a success.

Everybody Wants Some!! Movie Description

In 1980, a college freshman in Texas befriends his new baseball teammates, a group of wild partyers who love to dance and chase skirts.

Together, they navigate the freedoms and responsibilities that come with unsupervised adulthood.

The Bad News Bears Movie Description

Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) is a down-on-his-luck former minor league ballplayer who agrees to coach a Little League team at the behest of Bob Whitewood (Ben Piazza), a lawyer with a vendetta against the league.

Buttermaker fails with his new team of misfits, but he enlists feisty and gifted pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O’Neal) to lead the charge. Can he find the luck and patience to whip these outcasts into shape?

Sugar Movie Description

19-year-old Miguel “Sugar” Santos, from the Dominican Republic, has always dreamed of playing baseball for an American team.

His skills as a pitcher finally land him a spot on a single-A team in Iowa; however, his unfamiliarity with the culture there, racism, and other problems make it difficult to maintain his dream.

Angels In The Outfield Movie Description

Roger, a foster kid, loves the Anaheim Angels baseball team even though they’re the worst in the majors. In order to reunite his family, Roger’s estranged father said that the Angels must make it to the World Series.

Knowing this, Roger prays for Anaheim’s success and Al – a real angel – soon appears in response to Roger’s prayers. The streak of wins surprises the coach of the Anaheim Angels tremendously!

• Best Movies About Angels

61* Movie Description

Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) and Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane), two very different baseball players, are both hitting home runs at an alarming rate as they aim for one of the most famed records in sports history.

Many observers believe that Mickey has a better chance than Roger of breaking Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in one season, but Roger quickly catches up to – and then surpasses – his teammate’s progress.

For The Love Of The Game Movie Description

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is an aging pitcher whose career is coming to a close. As he pitches the game of his life, he reflects on his relationships with Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston) and other important people in his life. Despite the struggles he’s faced, Chapel remains hopeful for the future.

5 More Baseball Movies (Honorable Mentions)

While our top picks for the best baseball movies certainly hit it out of the park, there are still plenty of other films worth mentioning. These honorable mentions range from heartfelt family dramas to hilarious comedies, and each brings its own unique perspective to the game of baseball.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just love a good underdog story, there’s something on this list for you. So grab your glove, sit back, and get ready for a few more innings of some of the best baseball movies out there.

• Rookie Of The Year (1993)
• The Natural (1984)
• Hardball (2001)
• Cobb (1994)
• The Babe (1992)