A new season of baseball hunting begins! Welcome to our annual official, unofficial wishlist of Rawlings special events and celebrations’ MLB game balls. We’ll later turn this post into the official 2026 MLB Game Ball Live Tracker. It will become a more organized checklist to easily see what’s been approved for actual game and retail use. But for now, while most MLB baseball fields around the country are frozen and covered in snow, let’s use this post to speculate and dream.
Much like 2025 and 2024, there are many opportunities for specially stamped commemorative logo baseballs. This is a big season, and not just for us baseball memorabilia and merchandise collectors. This is a monumental season for Major League Baseball. And for the entire United States of America.
2026 is the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The grand Semiquincentennial of our nation’s independence, July 4, 1776. The whole country is celebrating America’s 250th year (or at least they should be) and baseball is right at the heart of it. We’ll use the term America250 for now to reference this milestone, since that’s how MLB appears to be recognizing it. That’s just based on the league’s first major story posted early in the new year, and the preliminary coverage and promotions around the celebration:
MLB is a partner of America250, the official nonpartisan organization established by Congress to lead the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.
Major League baseball
Now, let’s not clear space in our baseball displays for red-white-and-blue-stamped and multicolor laced official ROMLB America250 baseballs just yet. I’ve seen nothing, heard nothing. I haven’t even pestered anyone to provide official info yet. I’m still recovering from documenting a whopping, world record 61* MLB official Rawlings baseballs from last season, and enshrining them in the venerable Museum of Baseballs!
Most importantly, in regards to the wishlist and actual game ball tracker below: this is mostly guesswork. There’s no inside intel used for this initial edition. So let’s timestamp this and add future updates below: The first posting of the 2026 Rawlings/MLB Live Tracker is Monday Jan. 12, 2026.
This post will change significantly over time. It will be updated and revised 100 times by the end of the season. To reiterate: this is all just offseason cabin-fever speculation. But it’s one of our favorite things to do here at OfficialGameBalls.com — theorize about opportunities to commemorate league celebrations and national holidays, and team and player milestones — with limited edition real leather baseballs!
So there’s nothing official just yet for MLB’s 2026 season, aside from the Philly All-Star Game baseballs unveiled last season. And – for a little bit of real news before we get to the 2026 Wishlist and Tracker – the 2026 Rawlings WBC World Baseball Classic game balls:
Interestingly, these new ’26 WBC balls have already been used in games. They made an early appearance in an exhibition game(s) in Japan this past November!
Note the text layout—year at the bottom; a change from previous Classics’ game balls. And, unfortunately, no gold. Boring dark blue ink again.
The Ultimate 2026 Rawlings MLB Game Ball Wishlist: From Confirmed to Speculative to Downright Delusional
Practical Wishlist: 2026 Rawlings Official Game Balls for On-Field / Game Use
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Major League Baseball Opening Day Red White & Blue game balls, March 25–26 (For old time’s sake?)
- 2026 Rawlings LA Dodgers World Series B2B Championship Banner Raising Game Opening Day vs. D-backs Dodger Stadium
- 2026 Rawlings St. Louis Cardinals 20th Anniversary of Busch Stadium (Inaugural game ball for inspiration!)
- 2026 Rawlings Pittsburgh Pirates 25th Anniversary PNC Park (Do this red beauty justice with a follow-up ball!)
- 2026 Rawlings Milwaukee Brewers 25th Anniversary of American Family Field (This Home to Heroes deserves a follow-up ball!)
- 2026 Rawlings Toronto Blue Jays 50th Season (Celebrated “40th Season” in 2017 (sic). 2026 is 50th Season. 2027 is 50th Anniversary)
- 2026 Rawlings Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki Statue Dedication Game April 10th (Ichiro’s 5th Official ROMLB, tying Jackie Robinson!)
- 2026 Rawling MLB Jackie Robinson Day April 15 (Jackie baseballs!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB World Tour: Mexico City Series Arizona Diamondbacks & San Diego Padres Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium April 25–26
- 2026 Rawlings Seattle Mariners Randy Johnson #51 Number Retirement May 2 (Another Mariners #51 ball?! Heck yes!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Lou Gehrig Day June 2 4ALS Awareness (2021–2025 Lou Gehrig Day Commemoratives)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB July 4th USA 250th Independence Day Weekend (America250 Red White & Blue Logo / Laced Baseballs?!)
- 2026 Rawlings Tampa Bay Rays Evan Longoria Jersey Number Retirement & Tropicana Field HOF Induction July 10–12
- 2026 Rawlings MLB All-Star Futures Game Philadelphia July 11 (All-Star Futures game ball history)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB All-Star Home Run Derby White Standard Game Ball New Logo! Philly July 13 (MLB HRD Balls!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB All-Star Home Run Derby Magenta Bonus Ball New Logo! Philadelphia July 13 (MLB HRD Balls!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB All-Star Game BP/Practice Red Laced (Same as 2025 Philly Declaration Game Ball?)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB All-Star Game Red & Blue Laced Red Stamped, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia July 14 (Beautiful!)
- 2026 Rawlings Los Angeles Angels Throwback Week Alternate Jersey Logo Baseballs July 17–22 (Rumored)
- 2026 Rawlings Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre Joe Carter Statue Unveiling Ceremony Game July 18
- 2026 Rawlings Seattle Mariners 50th Anniversary Season – 50 Seasons Celebration Weekend Aug. 7–9 vs. Rays (Cool patch!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Field of Dreams Game Minnesota Twins Philadelphia Phillies Aug. 13 (MLB, please don’t strikeout on these again!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Little League Classic Bowman Field, Williamsport, PA, Atlanta Braves Milwaukee Brewers Aug. 23 (MLB-LLC Ball)
- 2026 Rawlings Colorado Rockies Hall of Famer Larry Walker Coors Field Statue Unveiling Ceremony & Game Aug. 23
- 2026 Rawlings San Francisco Giants Jeff Kent Number Retirement Ceremony & HOF Celebration Game Aug. 29 Oracle Park
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Roberto Clemente Day Sept. 15 (The world needs a Roberto #21 Commemorative gamer.)
- 2026 Rawlings Colorado Rockies Hall of Famer Todd Helton Coors Field Statue Unveiling Ceremony & Game Sept. 19
- 2026 Rawlings Major League Baseball MLB Postseason Games (Bring ’em back!)
- 2026 Rawlings Major League Baseball MLB World Series (OGB World Series baseball gallery)
- *2024–2026 New & Repeat City Connect & Alternate Uniforms Games Baseballs. New Unis: Angels, Reds, Royals, Rangers. Repeat CC balls (just guessing): Padres, Astros, Giants, Marlins, Mariners, Phillies, Rays, Blue Jays, Rays (History of City Connect Baseballs)
Long-Shots: 2026 Rawlings Official Game Balls for On-Field / Game Use
- 2026 National League 150th Anniversary League-Wide, Red & Black Laced, Black Stamped NL Logo! (NL Founded Feb. 2, 1876).
- 2026 American League 125th Anniversary League-Wide, Red & Blue Laced, Red-Stamped AL Logo! (AL Founded Jan. 28, 1901) (Or just add a “125” and bring back these gems!)
- 2026 150th Anniversary Baseballs for the following NL franchises: Atlanta Braves (formerly Boston Red Stockings), Chicago Cubs (formerly Chicago White Stockings).
- 2026 125th Anniversary Baseballs for the following AL franchises: Baltimore Orioles; Boston Red Sox (Boston Americans est. 1901); Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Blues est. 1901, and also known as Lake Shores, Blues (again) / Bluebirds, Naps, Molly McGuires?!, Indians); Detroit Tigers (est. 1901); Las Vegas–Sacramento–Oakland–Kansas City Athletics (Philadelphia Athletics, est. 1901); and the Minnesota Twins (Washington Nationals/Senators est. 1901). (Note: The Chicago White Sox celebrated its 125th in 2025, having moved to Chicago in 1900 as the White Stockings. Supposedly.)
- 2026 Chicago Cubs 10th Anniversary of 2016 World Series Championship (Yes, it’s already been a decade!)
- 2026 Salt River Fields at Talking Stick 15th Anniversary, Feb. 26th. Arizona Diamondbacks & Rockies (Revisit the story behind the SRF Inaugural Game Ball! SRF celebrated 10th Anniversary in 2021, but 15 seasons in 2025?!)
- 2026 St. Louis Cardinals 20th Anniversary of 2006 World Series Champs
- 2026 Arizona Diamondbacks 25th Anniversary of 2001 World Series Championship (That was 25 years ago?!)
- 2026 Minnesota Twins 35th Anniversary of 1991 World Series Championship
- 2026 New York Mets 40th Anniversary of 1986 World Series Championship
- 2026 Atlanta Braves 60th Anniversary Season in Atlanta, Truist Park 10th Season.
- 2026 MLB Spring Breakout Baseballs – Showcasing the future of baseball
- 2026 Miami Marlins Legends Hall of Fame Games
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Mother’s Day May 10
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Armed Force’s Day Weekend May 15–17
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Rivalry Weekend May 15–17
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Memorial Day May 25
- 2026 Rawlings Las Vegas Ballpark Nevada Series, Sacramento/LV Athletics June 8–14
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Father’s Day June 21
- 2026 Star-Spangled Sunday on NBC July 5th – America250 Independence Day Weekend Red White and Blue Logo?
- 2026 MLB National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Weekend July 17–19
- 2026 MLB Hall of Fame Celebration Game Atlanta Braves Andruw Jones, July 30th
- 2026 MLB Hall of Fame HOF Celebration Game New York Mets Carlos Beltrán (Date unknown)
- 2026 MLB Players’ Weekend (MLB Legends’ Logos) September?
- 2026 25th Anniversary of September 11 New York City Subway Series Mets vs. Yankees, Yankee Stadium Sept. 11–13
2026 Rawlings ROMLB-Grade Retail & Promotional, & Miscellaneous Official Game Balls (1)
- 2026 Rawlings WBC World Baseball Classic March 5–17, Miami, Houston, Tokyo, San Juan (Confirmed. Used first in 2025 Japan games!)
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Major League Baseball Draft July 12–13
- 2026 Rawlings MLB & Topps Debut Baseballs – Celebrating players first Major League games
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Roberto Clemente Award Official Baseballs, September
- 2026 Rawlings MLB Hank Aaron Award Official Baseballs, October (most outstanding AL & NL offensive performer)
- Annual Commemorative Baseballs: AL/NL Rookie of the Year, AL/NL MVP, AL/NL Cy Young Award, & Silver Slugger Award baseballs.
*61 2025 MLB baseballs includes retail-only / non-game ROMLB-grade baseballs, the 2025 WBC Qualifier, and the 2025 Rawlings official Gold Glove Award ceremony baseball. We might have a few extra GGA balls to give away too, for folks that read till the end and subscribe to our very sporadically emailed… email newsletter:
