The Major League Baseball Players Association is hosting an inaugural MLBPA Esports Challenge Invitational on Tuesday, Dec. 11, just a few blocks up the Las Vegas Strip from the league’s annual winter meetings. Tampa Bay Rays Cy Young winner Blake Snell will headline the 32-player field of past, present, and future big leaguers.
The players’ union partnered with UMG Media Corp. in September on esports events. That started with the MLBPA Fortnite Challenge matches that have been streamed on the UMG Twitch channel. The Vegas tournament—produced by Jobu Media Group and co-sponsored by Caesar’s Palace, Scuf Gaming, and TDI Design—will feature Fortnite as well as other popular titles.
Players will compete with a partner, making 16 teams in total, and all competition will take place at The Wall Gaming Lounge inside the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. A press release touting the event described Mitch Garver and Stephen Gonsalves of the Twins as the favorites.
Also participating are retired reliever Tom “Flash” Gordon and his youngest son, Nick, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, who started Game 4 of the 2018 World Series, is also confirmed as well as Rockies prospect Brendan Rodgers, and noted esports aficionado Trevor May, a Minnesota relief pitcher who is also the founder and CEO of Esports Lab.
“We are excited to see some of the world’s best baseball players show off their skills in ESports gaming and their passion for this form of competition,” said Evan Kaplan, the MLBPA’s director of licensing and business development, in a statement. “We’re excited to team with UMG and Jobu for this inaugural series and to welcome key industry leaders, sponsors, and players into the lounge to enjoy the championship.”
SportTechie Takeaway
MLB has not followed the lead of the NFL, NBA, and MLS in starting its own esports league, so the players association has taken the initiative to stage its own tournament. Given how often baseball insiders and pundits ask what can be done to better market the sport’s players and stars, this appears to be an obvious first step, particularly to connect with a younger demographic of fan—the kind that has been elusive to MLB for years.