Top 10 Baseball Movies of All Time – Worst List Ever

Baseball season is almost here. April 4th. Opening Day in Detroit. The greatest unofficial holiday in Michigan. The first cold beer at Comerica, the sound of a fastball popping into a catcher’s mitt—it’s almost here.

So, naturally, I’ve been getting myself in the mood. Watching highlights, digging out my lucky Tigers cap, and, like any good baseball fan, checking out some baseball movie rankings.

And that’s when I saw it.

And I have so many questions.

Has the person who wrote this list ever played baseball? Ever been to a game? Ever thrown a baseball? Watched a movie? Owned a baseball glove? Worn a hat? Had a soul?

Because if they had done any of those things, there’s no way—NO WAY—this is the list they would’ve come up with.

Here’s what they picked:

Now, I love baseball movies. I respect most of these. But there are some glaring omissions here—omissions so outrageous that I’m starting to think the person who made this list has never even held a baseball in their life.

This is, without question, the most unforgivable snub. No movie captures the spirit of baseball—especially Tigers fans’ love for an underdog team—like “Major League.” Wild Thing. Willie Mays Hayes. Lou Brown’s gruff wisdom. The greatness of Bob Uecker as Harry Doyle. It’s got heart, humor, and the best slow-motion home run moment in film history.

If you’re making a list of the best baseball movies and “Major League” isn’t on it, your list is trash.

I don’t care if you played Little League or just watched your neighborhood friends play in the summer—you know “The Sandlot” is legendary. It’s the baseball movie that made every kid want to play the game. It’s about friendship, summer, and the pure joy of hitting a ball over the fence—only to realize that The Beast is waiting on the other side.

You’re killing me, Smalls.

Now, this one hurts on a personal level. How do you leave out a movie about the DETROIT TIGERS?!

Kevin Costner plays Billy Chapel, an aging Tigers pitcher staring down the Yankees, throwing a perfect game while reflecting on his life. It’s raw. It’s emotional. It’s got Vin Scully calling the game, delivering lines like “Tonight, he will rise above them all.”

And let me tell you something—if you’re a Tigers fan and don’t get chills when Chapel takes the mound at Yankee Stadium, you might not have a pulse.

“For the Love of the Game” is the ultimate baseball movie. It’s about baseball as life. It’s about giving everything to the game, even when you know your time is running out.

And yet… it’s not on the list.

At first, I thought maybe I just missed it. Maybe it was there, and my eyes just skimmed over it.

But no. It’s not there. “Field of Dreams” didn’t make the cut.

I’m sorry, but WHAT?

This isn’t just a baseball movie. This is THE baseball movie. It’s the one that even non-baseball fans love. It’s about fathers and sons. It’s about nostalgia. It’s about the idea that the game, in its purest form, is magic.

If you grew up playing catch with your dad, if you ever stepped onto an empty field and felt like the game was bigger than just the players on it—you understand why “Field of Dreams” is untouchable.

And yet, this Hollywood Reporter list left it off.

Do they hate emotions? Do they hate dads? Do they hate America?

I swear, if you walk into Comerica Park on Opening Day and start asking fans what the greatest baseball movies of all time are, at least half will say “Field of Dreams” without hesitation. And the other half? They’ll still have it in their top three.

But apparently, not one person at the Hollywood Reporter thought it was worthy.

Other Crimes Against Baseball

Opening Day Is Coming… and This List is Still Trash

Look, I get it. Everyone’s got their own opinions. But if you’re making a definitive list of baseball movies and leave out “Major League,” “The Sandlot,” “For the Love of the Game,” and “Field of Dreams”, your opinion is bad and you should feel bad.

The good news? Opening Day is just around the corner. Soon, we’ll have real baseball—Miggy may be retired, but the next generation of Tigers is here. We’ll be back at Comerica, complaining about bullpen decisions, debating batting orders, and hoping—praying—for a playoff push.

But until then, do yourself a favor: Watch “For the Love of the Game” and “Field of Dreams.” Remember what real baseball movies are supposed to feel like. And for the love of baseball—somebody get The Hollywood Reporter a glove and a bucket of baseballs. Maybe then they’ll get it right.

Go Tigers. See you on Opening Day.