THE PRIDE BALL
LGBTQ+ visibility in many professional sports has grown, but teams still receive pushback against Pride-related events, and there is yet to be an out, LGBTQ+ player on an active major league roster. In 2025, with DEI issues in the national conversation, the Seattle Mariners wanted to reinforce their support of the LGBTQ+ community with a campaign that said loud and proud that baseball is for everyone. Introducing: The Pride Ball.
The Pride Ball was hand-stitched using more than 6ft. of hand-colored rainbow thread. The process was captured and turned into a film released to kick off Pride Month and drive to the Mariners’ Pride site that included information, resources and ways to donate to LGBTQ+ organizations.
After the PRIDE BALL video was released on the Mariners’ digital and social channels, the ball was used for the ceremonial first pitch of the Mariners’ 2025 Pride Night event. To spread the message to baseball fans beyond Seattle, the Mariners spearheaded a first-of-its-kind collaboration with MLB teams across the country.
It traveled more than 8,500 miles, journeying from Seattle to the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks before returning to the Mariners.
During Pride Month, the Pride Ball video amassed over 800 thousand organic views, resulting in 2.3MM impressions and 248% engagement compared to the Mariners’ 2025 average. The Pride Ball itself traveled more than 8500 miles and was seen in person by over 137 thousand fans across six major league ballparks.
As a testament to the PRIDE BALL’s power to inspire new connections and conversations around the LGBTQ+ community in MLB, the National Baseball Hall of Fame requested it be donated to its permanent collection.
After its Pride Month journey was complete, it was delivered to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY to cement its role in baseball history and carry on its legacy for years to come.
The Pride Ball was an ‘outside the brief’ proposal that took me two years to bring to life. One of the most rewarding results was the overwhelmingly positive response on social. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I know what it’s like to see a brand or organization you love make a public statement in support of equality. I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to do that with the Mariners.
