Vanderbilt baseball writer says what ball-knowers are thinking about Savannah Bananas, Banana Ball, and the MLB

Banana Ball is making waves across the baseball world after the Savannah Bananas and Texas Tailgaters attracted 102,000 fans to Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, home of the A&M Aggies, this past Saturday. Some are taking it as a sign that the MLB is being passed by. The Tennessean’s Aria Gerson is bringing sensibility to the situation, though.

Per the Vanderbilt Commodores beat writer, “The Savannah Bananas are not baseball, and they are not designed to appeal to the same audience as baseball is, and that's fine. But we don't need thinkpieces of ‘what can baseball learn from the Savannah Bananas’ or ‘why can't baseball fill a 100k football stadium’ because they aren't the same thing, don't have the same audience and they aren't designed to!”

The league that doesn’t penalize balks and has random former MLB players appear in their home markets – that also features lip-synching showtunes TikTok dance numbers from the players mid-game – isn’t a serious competitor with the highest level of pro baseball. Unfortunately, not everyone can consume a lengthy MLB game, creating an opening for a baseball alternative. Banana Ball games are tailored to the viewing experience with over-the-top whimsy. MLB games rarely have that these days. Worse yet, frequently, MLB games are played deep into the night on a weeknight via extra innings. Banana Ball’s two-hour time limit is extremely viewer-friendly.

It’s easy to overreact to the baseball phenomenon Banana Ball has become, though, while watching a game played with not only typical Bananas antics, but also with a comically short left field wall 185 feet from home plate. Especially as an MLB lockout looms in 2027.

Will MLB players play in Banana Ball during a potential lockout?

Given how over 30 former players have appeared in Banana Ball so far, it’s easy to picture current players making a buck during the lockout in the whimsical baseball-themed sports entertainment spectacle. Remember, players don’t receive regular pay during a lockout.

Also, remember players from the NFL have been making appearances in WWE for decades. Banana Ball is part pro wrestling and part legitimate competition, after all.