In most major league cities, June will mark the first full return of Pride celebrations since 2019. Included in those festivities will be 28 Major League Baseball teams celebrating their LGBTQ fanbases during Pride month.

(The Yankees being the Yankees, it appears they’re arriving to the party fashionably late to ensure everyone sees it when they make their Legacy of Pride Night announcement. Apparently, Yankees PR is run by Axl Rose. We’ll give the Yanks half-credit for bringing back their Stonewall Scholarships for 2022 because while that technically counts as a Pride announcement, so far they’re asking LGBTQ students to do all the work.)

Last year, MLB Pride was about being there when we needed something to celebrate. This season, we get to show up to ballparks around the country and remember what it’s like to be a community again.

From the Giants and Dodgers taking the field in rainbow caps to the Blue Jays scheduling a full weekend of festivities to the Pirates and Tigers enabling fans to choose their own philanthropy, there are numerous reasons to serve rainbow realness at the ballpark next month.

Here is the Outsports 2022 MLB Pride Guide…

Arizona Diamondbacks: June 25 vs. Detroit Tigers

Like most other teams, the Diamondbacks will be showcasing a D-backs Progress Pride T-shirt as part of their promotion. But this won’t just be part of a special ticket package— Arizona will be giving away Pride T-shirts to the first 15,000 fans who enter Chase Field. It’s a great way to invite their entire fanbase to stand with the LGBTQ community and hopefully this idea will catch on throughout MLB.

Atlanta Braves: June 22 vs. San Francisco Giants

Last year, I threw a bit of shade at the Braves for their basic “rainbow A” cooler bag promo. No doubt inspired by this disrespect, Atlanta went on to win the World Series in order to give their promotions department reason to reply, “Sorry, we were too busy concentrating on CHAMPIONSHIP RING swag.” This season, the Braves are bringing back DJ Kimber for a pregame party and making a donation from each ticket sold to Lost-N-Found. Their Pride tumblers look like a much sleeker design, too, but the addition of a rainbow tomahawk feels like a unfortunate “Born This Way” lip sync for your life between John Wayne and Johnny Depp’s Tonto.

Baltimore Orioles: June 22 vs. Washington Nationals

One of the most impressive baseball sights in June is Baltimore’s collection of Progress Pride flags along Eutaw Street at Camden Yards (above) —the classic red brick of the B&O Warehouse seems to make the garden of rainbows pop even bolder. That’s just the start of Orioles LGBTQ+ Pride Night. The team is offering both a promotional ticket package with a wearable Pride flag and an upgraded VIP Party bundle featuring live music by DJ Rosie, pregame spread, and a visit from the Oriole Bird.

Boston Red Sox: June 15 vs. Oakland Athletics

As John Updike famously wrote, “Fenway Park, in Boston, is a lyric little bandbox of a ballpark.” For one night in June when the Sox give away a sharp-looking Progress Pride olde English B cap and host a pregame party on the Sam Deck, that bandbox will be cranking the lyrics to “Call Me By Your Name.” Which is a much fiercer bop than “Sweet Caroline” anyway.

Chicago Cubs: June 29 vs. Cincinnati Reds
Out at Wrigley: Sept. 18 vs. Colorado Rockies

Part of what made the Wrigley Field renovations so successful was that the Cubs knew what aspects of the 108-yea-old ballpark would be best enhanced by modernization. Nothing symbolizes that better than walking under a row of Pride flags above the historic marquee. As a Cubs fan, I’m really searching for that kind of positivity in a year after they dumped their World Series heroes and fielded a replacement level team while pretending it wasn’t another rebuild. I mean, It’s hard to justify paying major league prices for such a cynical exercise in…

Holy cow, look at that rainbow mesh cap! Sigh. Take my money, Cubs.

Chicago White Sox: June 23 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Continuing a great new tradition, the White Sox are spotlighting Chicago-based LGBTQ artist Katie Lukes for their Southside Pride T-shirt promotion. Lukes’ design features a rainbow of fireworks exploding over Guaranteed Rate Field surrounded by South Side landmarks ranging from the Union Stockyards Gate to Bronzeville’s Monument to the Great Northern Migration to a Chicago-style hot dog. Hey, you celebrate your city’s civic treasures and we’ll celebrate ours.

Cincinnati Reds: June 3 vs. Washington Nationals

It’s been a rough year for the Reds so far but at least the rainbow script cap they’re offering for Pride Night looks good. They’ll also be paying tribute to a number of Cincinnati LGBTQ community organizations during a pregrame ceremony. All of this should guarantee that unlike when their pitchers throw a no-hitter, Pride Night will be a guaranteed win.

Cleveland Guardians: June 25 vs. Boston Red Sox

In the first year of their long-awaited and awesome moniker change, Cleveland is celebrating a new era with a ticket package featuring a script Guardians T-shirt with the Progress Pride logo on the sleeve. I think we can all agree that the rainbow flag looks best when its message of inclusion isn’t being immediately contradicted by the team nickname.

Colorado Rockies: June 3 vs. Atlanta Braves

When you think about it, a team named after the Rocky Mountains should have a Pride giveaway that makes you stop and say “Oh wow!” Colorado really came through this year with a T-shirt depicting a rainbow heart made up of multicolored Rockies logos. This promotion is so breathtaking, it could qualify as the view from the Coors Field upper deck. You can practically hear Billy Porter calling “10! 10! 10! 10! 10!” on a runway where the category is “Larry Walker realness.” It also benefits the The Center on Colfax and One Colorado. You nailed it, Rockies.

Detroit Tigers: June 1 vs. Minnesota Twins

The olde English D has long been one of the classiest looks in baseball and on the first day in June, the Tigers are going to go the full Angie Dickinson and give it some zazz. There is no greater compliment I can give than this: it would make Ty Cobb roll over in his grave. For this promotion, Detroit will be distributing Pride T-shirts and donating a portion of each ticket to “a local LGBTQ+ organization of your choice.” So whether it’s the Ruth Ellis Center, Equality Michigan, LGBT Detroit, or any other community charity, there’s no better way to benefit the community.

Houston Astros: June 21 vs. New York Mets

After holding their first Pride Night since 2010 last season, it only took one year for the Astros to bring it back again for 2022. We love to see it, Houston! This year, they’ll be hosting a pregame Happy Hour and giving away a rainbow HOU cap as an add-on ticket package. It looks great but I’m going to keep insisting that a Pride-themed tequila sunrise jersey is just sitting there for the Astros like a hanging slider in front of Yordan Álvarez.

Kansas City Royals: June 9 vs. Baltimore Orioles

Honestly, all the Royals have to do for Pride is announce “You know, Lorde wrote that song about George Brett, right?” But they’re doing more to celebrate by giving away a clear fanny pack with a rainbow KC logo and “KC ROYALS” in Progress Pride colors on the strap. Now somebody just needs to edit video of The Pine Tar Incident so that Brett charges out of the dugout synced up to the lyric about “Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin’ the hotel room.”

Los Angeles Angels: June 28 vs. Chicago White Sox

After seeing how good the Dodgers looked in their Pride LA caps, the Angels are stepping up their promo game by giving away Big A caps with the entire brim decked out in rainbow colors. In an especially nice touch, each eyelet on the cap is stitched in a different Pride color as well. As a bonus, the Angels Pride Night playlist almost certainly guarantees you’ll go the entire game without hearing any Nickelback.

Los Angeles Dodgers: June 3 vs. New York Mets

Pride Night at Dodger Stadium has become a must-attend event and the Dodgers continue to exceed expectations year after year. This season, the team will be wearing rainbow LA caps on the field, which will match the Progress Pride Dodgers jersey giveaway for fans who buy a special ticket package. In addition, the promotion spotlights an LA Pride kickoff party and a pregame ceremony honoring LGBTQ front-line workers. But the most impactful moment will be when the Dodgers welcome back Glenn Burke’s family for what promises to be an emotional first pitch and a belated recognition of an LGBTQ sports trailblazer.

Miami Marlins: June 2 vs. San Francisco Giants

As if to admit, “Yeah, we’ve worn every color in nature (and some not) during our three decades of existence,” the Marlins are giving away a rainbow M cap whose design answers the question “What if a fishing guide exclusively worked South Beach?” They’ll also be hosting a number of Miami’s LGBTQ leaders at a pregame social event. I believe Miami knows a thing or two about how to throw an LGBTQ social.

Milwaukee Brewers: June 8 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

One of the most enjoyable aspects about working in Brewers promotions has to be figuring out different ways to show off baseball’s best logo. This year, the Brewers are giving away clear backpacks with a Pride accented ball-in-glove MB emblazoned on the front. The only way a Milwaukee institution could better commemorate Pride would be Bob Uecker calling a game in a rainbow wig. Which would probably not take too much persuasion.

Minnesota Twins: July 15 vs. Chicago White Sox

You can tell right away that it’s Twins Pride Night when you enter Target Field’s right field concourse to be greeted by an 8-foot rainbow TC logo. This year, the Twins are replicating that look on a rainbow-striped tank top giveaway. One suggestion: since Target Field’s canopy is this beautiful ballpark’s architectural signature, if the Twins lit it up in rainbow colors, that would be one of the best LGBTQ looks in all of MLB.

New York Mets: June 17 vs. Miami Marlins

In addition to their Pride hat giveaway, Citi Field will be hosting a spirited LGBTQ pregame program on Mets Plaza. During the national anthem, the Metropolitans will display the rainbow and trans pride flags and light up the ballpark’s signage in Pride colors. The next step should be celebrating a Pete Alonso home run by wrapping the center field apple in Progress Pride ribbons. Spend your billions on something useful, Steve Cohen!

Oakland A’s: June 17 vs. Kansas City Royals

The A’s are focusing on community relations for this year’s Glenn Burke Pride Night and will be donating $5 from every ticket sold through the above link to the Oakland LGBTQ Center. Which is definitely good! But like the team they’re fielding, if you’re searching for more reasons to get excited, you’ll have to look to Atlanta, Toronto, New York, San Diego…

Philadelphia Phillies: June 28 vs. Atlanta Braves

The Phillies will be giving away rainbow hoodies to the first 1,000 fans who buy a special Pride Night ticket bundle. According to the team website, this package is already sold out which means that Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community will be turning out in full force for this promotion. But if you weren’t able to grab a ticket in time, you can still celebrate Pride the Philly way by booing a picture of Daniel Murphy.

Pittsburgh Pirates: June 17 vs. San Francisco Giants

Pittsburgh’s Pride Night features a black T-shirt giveaway with a rainbow “P” logo. This functions as both a statement of LGBTQ inclusion and a useful garment for the next “blackout” game (A designation describing how every Pirates fan dresses in black for the team’s next playoff series and not how drunk you have to get to imagine the Pirates back in the postseason). Pirates fans can also choose to donate a portion of their ticket price to a number of non-profits like PFLAG Pittsburgh or the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation.

San Diego Padres: May 6 vs. Miami Marlins

The Padres got a jump on the rest of baseball and held their annual Out at the Park promotion on the first Friday of May. Which is totally cool because we at Outsports believe in celebrating Pride every day of the year. The Friars held a pregame Happy Hour, gave away a Pride SD cap with a stylish rainbow stripe down the back, and welcomed gay, former umpire Dale Scott to throw out the first pitch while some off-camera voice yelled “Strike!” Which can only indicate that he lent his phone to Ángel Hernández. (Yes, I did reference my favorite umpire just to talk smack about his colleagues. The men in blue are the Joan Crawford to my Bette Davis.)

San Francisco Giants: June 11 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Circle this one on your baseball calendar even if you’re not a Giants fan. This is going to be a genuinely inspirational sight to behold as the Giants and Dodgers both take the field wearing rainbow logo caps, pulling off a first in MLB Pride history. Even if you can’t make it out to Oracle Park, you’ll want to stream the game on TV and see firsthand evidence of how far LGBTQ representation has come in baseball. And if you can make it, the Giants are also offering a special ticket package featuring a spectacular SF rainbow socks giveaway — the most Pride a pair of hosiery has inspired in Giants fans since Hunter Pence last roamed right field.

Seattle Mariners: June 30 vs. Oakland A’s

Rainbow hoodies appear to be a growing trend throughout the league and the Mariners’ version features their Compass S logo. But what makes this night in Seattle special is when the M’s light up T-Mobile Park’s roof trusses in Pride colors that can be seen from anywhere in the SoDo neighborhood. You can’t beat the symbolism of a baseball diamond under a giant rainbow. It’s what would happen if “Field of Dreams” was directed by Ryan Murphy.

St. Louis Cardinals: June 10 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Oh hey, look, a rainbow hoodie! Cardinal fans are definitely not asking me for fashion tips but the bird on the bat has never looked better than when it’s showing off the Progress Pride Rainbow. And nothing emphasizes progress better than Busch Stadium Pride celebrating its five year anniversary and the Cards donating a portion of each ticket package to PFLAG Greater St. Louis.

Tampa Bay Rays: June 4 vs. Chicago White Sox

The Rays win the award for busiest promotion design with their Pride cap. Not only does it feature a Progress Pride TB insignia, the brim is designed to mimic baseball-centric street art including rainbows, Rays uniform logos, love is love drawings, and the Tropicana Field roof. Which means this is the only Pride promotion paying tribute to a structure built deliberately to obscure rainbows. Ye gods, Tampa needs a new ballpark.

Toronto Blue Jays: June 3-5 vs. Minnesota Twins

Now this is how you do Pride. It’s been three years since the Jays got to spend June playing in Toronto so they’re making up for lost time with a full Pride Weekend of programs — from interactive activities in the Rogers Centre flight deck during every game to drag performances to a DJ booth. As for swag, the Jays will also be giving away rainbow towels during Friday’s game. But the most impressive part of the schedule happens on Sunday when the Pride Weekend Jr. Jays program spotlights an onfield celebration of kindness and inclusion.

Washington Nationals: June 14th vs. Braves

The Nationals have been longstanding supporters of Pride and their annual Night OUT is entering its 17th year in 2022. As in past seasons, the Nats will be giving away a Night OUT T-shirt and donating $5 from each special ticket sold to Team DC. Of course, if the Nats really wanted to celebrate everyone in DC’s LGBTQ community, they’d ditch the racing presidents for one night and host the first annual Secretaries of Transportation Sprint.

Texas Rangers:

No Pride night, continuing their distinction as the only MLB team to never recognize its LGBTQ fans. But Lady Gaga will be headlining Globe Life Field on August 23rd and when she plays the bridge to “Bad Romance,” if you shout “J’veux ton amour, Adrián Beltré,” the HRC should officially declare that this counts as Rangers Pride.

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