Much like everything else about baseball, home run celebrations can inspire some big feelings.
On one side of the debate are the traditionalists, who find the inclusion of arts and crafts in today’s celebrations to be a bit much. That’s especially true when they are done by teams that are languishing at or near the bottom of the standings. On the other side are those who see the celebrations as part of the game’s evolution, a positive development for a sport that for so long had been obsessed with squashing anything that might — heaven forbid! — show up an opponent.
Still, prop-based home run celebrations are spreading. Just in the last couple of weeks, a few more teams have joined in the fun, with 16 of the league’s 30 clubs adopting the concept. (That total would be 17 if not for a hat company putting the kibosh on one of the better celebrations.)
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We asked The Athletic’s baseball writers to grade the celebrations. And in cases where teams have yet to make one of their own, we encouraged our writers to propose something fitting, and the ideas were creative. Let’s begin with the best of the best.
The Angels celebrate home runs by placing a relatively heavy samurai warrior helmet — also known as a Kabuto — on the hitter’s head. The idea originated from the Angels’ Japanese superstar, Shohei Ohtani, and it reportedly cost around $2,500. The idea is awesome, first because of originality. And second, it fits the theme of the season. Everything is revolving around the Angels’ pursuit to win in the hopes of keeping Ohtani with the organization long-term.
Sam Blum’s rating: 
awesome
the home run samurai helmet’s working overtime #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/UWCeQBeiFc
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 23, 2023
Long before the cheesehead became a thing in the stands at Lambeau Field during Packers games, Frank Bruno debuted the look at old Milwaukee County Stadium for a Brewers-White Sox game. Legend says Frank yanked the foam padding out of his mom’s sofa, carved in some divots, spray-painted it yellow and turned it into a hat. The original cheesehead is still on display under glass, like Milwaukee’s Hope Diamond. This season, the Brewers adopted the cheesehead as their home run celebration, the most appropriate hat on this list, no doubt. What’s funny is the necessary preparation. Every day, at home or on the road, a clubby with a checklist will fill the gum buckets, mix the Powerade, put bats in the rack, lay out the pine tar rag – and hang the cheesehead in the dugout next to the bullpen phone. For hours before first pitch, the hat hangs on a wall, waiting for a dinger.
Nick Groke’s rating: awesome
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 7, 2023
The Pirates’ home run sword began as an “air sword” players would pretend to unsheathe after hitting singles and doubles. The guys eventually decided to use the real thing — well, a foam-rubber version — to celebrate home runs. A woman whose Twitter handle is Pirates Queen Banshee, one of several fans who dress as pirates (such as Blackbeard, Captain Jack Sparrow or the guy on rum bottles) for games at PNC Park, gave a costume sword to pitcher Mitch Keller, and it became the team’s official home run prop.
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Rob Biertempfel’s rating: awesome
The home run sword. That's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/xU4fWcEHpA
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 14, 2023
Last month, a box containing (in several pieces) a six-foot tall, yellow metal trident showed up in the home clubhouse at T-Mobile Park, ordered by Mariners players Sam Haggerty and J.P. Crawford. After some assembly, the Mariners had a new toy to celebrate with after home runs. The trident, ordered from Amazon, seems more befitting for Aquaman than a baseball player. It weighs about 30 pounds and yes, it’s sharp. The Mariners have been using it at home and on the road, though it requires some disassembly for their charter flights.
Corey Brock’s rating: awesome
OMG pic.twitter.com/T9XukTBXBK
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 22, 2023
Until recently, the Diamondbacks didn’t have a prop-centered home run celebration. Slugger Christian Walker had even suggested they might not join the trend, and if they did, it would have to be organic. Just a few days later, though, shortstop Nick Ahmed pulled an eight-foot-long stuffed rattlesnake out of a vacuum-sealed package. A new celebration was born. Evan Longoria was the first to homer in this new era, tossing the snake over his shoulders like a feather boa. (Or, you know, a regular boa.) Points deducted for doing something just because everyone else was doing it, but points awarded for something with a strong connection to the team.
Zach Buchanan’s rating: 
solid
The Orioles retired their popular 2022 home run chain for a series of water celebrations this year. If an Oriole singles, the runner makes a twisting motion to turn on a faucet. If a hitter doubles, he’ll pantomime a sprinkler as several teammates in the dugout spit water in the air. And on a homer, the batter goes to the hydration station in the dugout and drinks water from a funnel and hose. The “homer hose” has been a bit controversial, with fans dubbing it the “dong bong” and critics suggesting it promotes binge drinking. Lefty Cole Irvin, who came up with the homer celebration – outfitting the orange-and-black hose and funnel along with fellow lefty Keegan Akin – says its purpose is to re-create drinking from a hose as a kid after playing an afternoon of baseball. Not sure I fully buy that, but players and fans are having fun with it. In fact, the Orioles turned all of this into a marketing idea. Section 86 at home games – adjacent the bullpen in left field – has been turned into the “Bird Bath Splash Zone” and a team employee dubbed Mr. Splash sprays a hose on the fans whenever the Orioles have an extra-base hit. Overall, I give it a thumbs up. I thought the homer hose was incredibly creative at first. It’s gotten a little tired now, but I think it is cool that the whole “water park” concept has taken off.
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Dan Connolly’s rating: solid
Introducing Mr. Splash and the Bird Bath 💦 pic.twitter.com/PPb2IGFEqu
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 13, 2023
For most of three seasons, the Red Sox celebrated home runs by riding through the dugout in a laundry cart. But that celebration was started by backup catcher Kevin Plawecki, who’s now long gone. Enter, the golden dumbbells. After rounding the bases, a Red Sox home run hitter grabs a pair of inflatable dumbbells and carries them through the high-five line, sometimes stopping at the end for a few curls. The props were originally acquired as a part of the team’s sales pitch to Masataka Yoshida, who was celebrated as the “Macho Man” in Japan. The dumbbells wound up with Alex Cora — in preparation for a Yoshida Zoom session during the Winter Meetings — and ultimately found their way to the dugout.
Chad Jennings’ rating: solid
BREAK OUT THE DUMBBELLS! pic.twitter.com/ad197epA3l
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 23, 2023
The Reds’ Viking celebration started simply enough — pitcher Luis Cessa thought outfielder Jake Fraley looked like a Viking. To be fair, he’s not wrong. Fraley has long, blond hair and a long, blond beard. If you were casting a reboot of Vikings, you could do worse than Fraley. So Cessa bought a metal Viking helmet and a fur cape for Fraley. The original Viking helmet was metal, but in the interest of safety, a plastic version was secured. The helmet and cape are put on every Red who homers, with the likes of Jonathan India and TJ Friedl also doing their best to look like Vikings with their long hair and facial hair.
C. Trent Rosecrans’ rating: solid
We'll never… ever… get tired of seeing this. pic.twitter.com/gqiNbNgdBJ
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 29, 2023
The Royals have adopted the motto of Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, general of the Felix Legions under the Roman Empire. SINGLE COLUMN! SINGLE COLUMN! This is to say: when a Royals hitter goes deep, he puts on a helmet from the movie “Gladiator” and takes a triumphant stroll through the dugout. As was first neatly explained by MLB.com’s Anne Rogers, the helmet was the brainchild of Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, who drew inspiration from the film’s us-for-the-world themes. In other words: The Royals believe they will have a better chance of survival if they stick together! They may not be winning many games, but one thing is certain: They will have their vengeance, in this life or the next. Are you not entertained?!
Rustin Dodd’s rating: solid
Add the Royals to the list @CespedesBBQ !
(How I wish this was an MF DOOM mask) https://t.co/gvuHljxU7v pic.twitter.com/9FJgfezHKW
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) May 3, 2023
Inspired by the University of Miami giving out the turnover chain — a 36-inch, 5.5-pound, 10-karat gold Cuban link necklace — to the MVP of the game back in the day, the Marlins have given out a Marlin chain to the team MVP. The university retired it in 2022, but the Major League Baseball team’s MVP that day still rocks the swag after homers and in postgame scrums, albeit not every single time they hit a homer (and also with the occasional Marlins bucket hat as a combo). Only six teams have hit fewer homers this year, so maybe they haven’t yet perfected the art of the sartorial-based home run celebration, and the university had a better centerpiece for the necklace, but it’s a solid choice all around.
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Eno Sarris’ rating: solid
for whoever is still awake back home, luv u.
buenas noches.
xoxo,
marlins admins pic.twitter.com/dSh2QiWE0o
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 10, 2023
Minnesota’s homer celebration is only a couple weeks old, as the Twins broke out a toy fishing pole and fishing vest with “Land of 10,000 Rakes” emblazoned on the back. It’s a clever play on the many lakes the state is known for and a move away from the “Bomba Squad” theme of 2019, with pitcher Pablo López buying the Paw Patrol fishing pole, senior manager of communications Mitch Hestad thinking up the phrasing and clubhouse attendant Frank Hanzlik doing the sewing work. With the Padres in town recently, one Twins official was asked whether they approved of San Diego’s sombrero-wearing homer celebration, and joked, “I mean, we’re doing a fishing pole and vest now, so why not?”
Aaron Gleeman’s rating: solid
Welcome to the Land of 10,000 Rakes. 🎣#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/8vdg0fcpIo
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 30, 2023
San Diego Padres
When a Padres player homers, his teammates crown him with a green, red, white and black sombrero. Fernando Tatis Jr. bought a few of them late last month during the club’s off-day in Mexico City, where the Padres hit seven home runs in two games and repeatedly donned the sombrero. The team’s home-run hitters have also continued posing in the dugout for Polaroid pictures, something Joe Musgrove started last season. While the Polaroids celebration gets significant points for creativity, the sombrero might be getting less and less topical — San Diego’s offense has severely underperformed since returning to the U.S.
Dennis Lin’s rating: solid
The Nationals rolled out their home run celebration earlier this month, and while nothing feels terribly inventive when almost every team is adopting a celly at the same time, this one checks all the boxes. It’s original. It’s locally relevant. It’s not in violation of any New Era contracts. And it looks funny. This big bopper rounds the bases, dons a colonial wig and waves a tiny American flag up and down the dugout. What’s not to like? The only shame is that the Nationals have hit the fewest homers on the senior circuit this season. The Founding Fathers demand more dingers.
Stephen Nesbitt’s rating: solid
*Star-Spangled Banner intensifies* pic.twitter.com/BvDJGEcfbI
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 1, 2023
Chicago White Sox
Desperate for Chicago-themed ideas, veteran Elvis Andrus found himself asking team interpreter Billy Russo about city history. If you see the big black duster jacket and fedora Sox players are wearing and think someone typed “Chicago” into Google and “crime” auto-filled behind it, Andrus’ description of the process isn’t that far off. Something themed around “The Bean” and “Deep Dish Pizza” was also considered. If it looks like a rehash of the Blue Jays’ home run jacket that originated under current Sox bench coach Charlie Montoyo, that’s because they contacted the same company to have it made.
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It has redeeming elements. Jake Burger’s wife (accurately) tweeted that he looks like the Hamburglar when he wears it. Eloy Jiménez doffing the hat for the camera always hits. Give me a surly player being made to wear a big, goofy hat any day of the week. But the meh review is beside the point. Andrus and other concocted the celebration during the team’s miserable 7-21 start, reasoning they needed something for a spark.
“Still trying to find the necklace to go with but so far it’s good,” Andrus said. “As soon as we did we started to hit a bunch of homers as a team.”
James Fegan’s rating: 
meh
When another successful hamburglarly is completed pic.twitter.com/7HHoQ0feG4
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) May 17, 2023
Tigers players return to the dugout, put on a hockey helmet and gloves and do their best imitation of a slapshot. Even in Hockeytown, a celebration venturing into another sport doesn’t quite hit. It also feels forced due to the fact the helmet has the decal of a corporate sponsor on the side, and the Tigers and Detroit Red Wings share the same ownership. It feels more like a glorified ad than a cool, organic celebration.
Cody Stavenhagen’s rating: meh
The Tigers have a new home run celebration: players wear a Red Wings helmet, grab a hockey stick, and rip a slap shot
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) April 23, 2023
There’s exactly nothing wrong with the A’s home run celebrations, it’s just that they can’t seem to decide on one. We’ve seen A’s hitters wear a catcher’s mask in the dugout after home runs. Then they donned Hulk hands, which seemed fitting since those are green and the size kind of reminds you of the Bash Brothers’ forearms, but then they started swinging some version of Thor’s hammer instead. Maybe their indecisiveness is a subtle way of trolling owner John Fisher and team president Dave Kaval, who in the past few weeks turned their back on Oakland when they entered into a “binding agreement” to purchase a site in Las Vegas for a new stadium before announcing soon after that they had pivoted to a different parcel of land in Sin City. Maybe, in the coming days, an A’s hitter will spin a roulette wheel or wear fuzzy dice around his neck after going yard.
Steve Berman’s rating: meh
Hit a home run, throw on the Hulk hands 😂👊 pic.twitter.com/IsmbMcJwmv
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) May 7, 2023
And now for the teams who have yet to get with the program … starting with one that was forced to give up an awesome celebration.
The Braves had a homer celebration that was organic and unique, and fans were loving it. After any Brave hit a homer during the first few weeks of the season, they would don an extremely oversized Braves cap, the kind you saw football teams and others wearing in celebrations over the past year or so. This massive lid had been tossed to a couple of players during the team’s parade to Truist Park before the home opener. And they just started using it after homers. But in late April, New Era, official MLB cap supplier, acted like greedy Scrooge McDuck by notifying MLB and the Braves that, since the cartoonish cap wasn’t made by New Era, the team had to cease and desist the donning of said cap. And so a fun, fan-favorite celebration ended abruptly. Boooo, New Era. — David O’Brien
MLB told the Braves to stop using the big hat in their home run celebration at the request of New Era
(via @joonlee) pic.twitter.com/FDpEKJut7y
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 27, 2023
And here are some ideas for the teams who have yet to celebrate creatively this season …
Surprisingly, a team with a long recent history of these types of celebrations and dugout props — crotch bumps, faux interviews with an old-school microphone, waffle makers, a red phone with a “NO PANIC” label — doesn’t have a similar gimmick. Flipping the beer bats (or frozen margarita bats) now being sold at Wrigley Field for $30 a pop would appear to have the same potential to go viral. — Patrick Mooney
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Think Times Square on New Year’s Eve meets Woodstock meets the parade through downtown Cleveland when the Cavaliers snapped the city’s 52-year title drought. When you hit a home run so infrequently, you might as well blow it out. Go nuts. Make it a landmark event. After all, this doesn’t happen all that often. Entering play on Wednesday, the Guardians rank last in the majors with 23 homers. They’re on pace to fall short of a triple-digit total for the year, the same total the Rays are already approaching. — Zack Meisel
The Rockies are among those teams without a home run celebration. Without debating whether that’s a good thing or bad, let’s add some context. On one hand, the Rockies came up with fun celebrations in the past, including a whole cucarachas thing in 2019 that cleverly played up how they self-identified as indestructible and always hanging around, like cockroaches. On the other hand, their current post-victory clubhouse celebration awards the game MVP a chain with truck nutz. It’s easy to screw up these celebrations. Allow us, if you will, to offer a suggestion. Since the Rockies are almost devoid of any actual identity, how about dispensing with the props and instead adopt some theatrical choreography in the dugout. Imagine a home run-hitter returning to the dugout for this below. — Nick Groke
This one is too easy, right? After every Astros home run, the team should move toward the end of the dugout, bring a bat or two, gather around a conveniently placed trash can and … put some toothpicks in their mouth in honor of the manager. — Chandler Rome
The Dodgers, at least for now, don’t have any organized celebration for home runs. Their celebration for big hits in general is an adoption of outfielder David Peralta’s “Freight Train” celebration from his time in Arizona. If the Dodgers were to do one, they should lean into the glitz and glam of playing in Los Angeles. They already have a blue carpet on-site for their annual gala — why not have the home run hitter walk the blue carpet for paparazzi (a role played by teammates) after their big swing? It would be fitting. — Fabian Ardaya
New York Mets
There are several historical callbacks the Mets could make. They could empty the dugout for each homer, the way they did in San Diego when Bartolo Colon went deep in 2016. They could break out Super Soakers — filled with water, we somehow have to clarify — to drench the hitter. Or they could all congregate out around second base prematurely, turning each homer into a single for kicks.
But really, we know how this should go. One night, the Mets need to sneak into their own Hall of Fame and pilfer the original head of Mr. Met, baseball’s first mascot. Hit a homer, get Mr. Met’s head plopped on your noggin. What’s New Era gonna say about that? — Tim Britton
The Yankees should make it rain. They’re the game’s richest franchise. They have a history of lavishing free agents with megabucks. Whenever someone homers, his teammates should shower him with Monopoly money. The paper precipitation should start the second he walks down the dugout steps and last until he gets to the other end. Then maybe give him a stack of bills to flash and then throw at the YES Network camera. If you got it, flaunt it, and if the Yankees have anything, it’s the moola. I’d buy that for a dollar. — Brendan Kuty
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The Phillies had a bamboo plant they petted in 2019 and a straw hat in 2021, but they didn’t have a formal celebration in 2022. That worked just fine. So, it’s the same in 2023. A modest proposal: Clear a path for the player who just homered and let him ride a miniature version of the Phanatic’s ATV through the dugout. Logistical nightmare? Who cares. — Matt Gelb
The Giants are a home-run-hitting team. The Giants are not a personality-driven team. Their “thing” this season seems to be to blow a kiss when they get on base. Not much flair happening there. That’s too bad, because the easiest way a mostly transient and anonymous roster could connect with fans is to play with a little more outward joie de vivre. Anyway, this won’t happen, but a very San Francisco celebration would be to crown the home run hitter with one of the massive hats from the late, great Beach Blanket Babylon. They might need to raise the dugout roof so it’ll fit, though. — Andrew Baggarly
"A Disney-scented fairy tale Beach Blanket Babylon is not. The bold, brash, loud and colorful production is uniquely San Franciscan, from its outspoken liberal leanings to its quirky devotion to gigantic hats." https://t.co/gXWSjKceKW pic.twitter.com/uex3erwZc7
— BeachBlanketBabylon (@BeachBlanketSF) September 19, 2019
The Cardinals do not have a home run celebration (come on, that’s not the Cardinal Way). All jokes aside, they probably didn’t find it appropriate to make one given that the team had its worst month to open the season in 50 years. Sadly for homer celebration enthusiasts, St. Louis just isn’t that type of team. Imagine Paul Goldschmidt donning a bird beak as he high-fives his way down the dugout line. Never going to happen (but shout out Grant Brisbee for the visual). The best bet for a Cardinals-themed celebration? Polite golf claps all around. — Katie Woo
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have celebrated some wins with “The Randy Thing” where they cross arms and pose like Randy Arozarena has after homers. But in terms of a dugout celebration, it’s mostly just a run through the tunnel with some posing and high-fives. The fun twist comes with the occasional luchador mask, but maybe there’s something about pulling that thing on that makes it tough to bust out after homers … and then there’s also the guy hitting the homer maybe wanting to get a little face time. It’s a fun team, but they haven’t coalesced around a single celebration, really. — Eno Sarris
LOS LUCHADORES pic.twitter.com/4Xh9CN1Xec
— Rays The Roof (@RaysTheRoofTB) April 29, 2023
The Rangers don’t have one, so [deep sigh] I humbly accept the responsibility to come up with one. We’re going to steer (get it) clear of some Texas stereotypes here: The Rangers recently introduced the “Peagle” — a combination of a panther and an eagle — as part of their City Connect uniforms, and it’s been a big hit among fans. I want a “Peagle Power” cloak — replete with wings on the back, sleeves with panther paws, and a comically-large tail. It would add to the comedy if-and-when notoriously serious Corey Seager had to wear the goofy thing. — Levi Weaver
Are the Blue Jays the hipsters of the home run celebration? For the past two seasons, they strutted through the dugout wearing a customized suit jacket when a player went deep. But as home run celebrations have become more mainstream, the Blue Jays got rid of theirs. The jacket ran its course and a new home-run prop doesn’t feel imminent. But if they did bring it back, the Blue Jays should go Canadian formal. That’s right, jeans, jean jacket, maybe pop a toque on, and enjoy that celly with the buds, eh. — Kaitlyn McGrath
(Illustration of Shohei Ohtani, Connor Joe and Masataka Yoshida: John Bradford / The Athletic; Photos: Daniel Shirey, Justin K. Aller, Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox / Getty Images)
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