Get ready to shout, “Kaizoku ou ni ore wa naru!” (I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!) Because baseball and anime, two seemingly different worlds, are about to collide in a spectacular fusion of sports and pop culture. The Seattle Mariners are teaming up with the legendary One Piece anime for a special event, and it’s promising to be more epic than a Luffy vs. Kaido showdown.
Circle the date on your calendars! T-Mobile Park (home of the Seattle Mariners) will transform into a haven for One Piece enthusiasts on April 8. This isn’t just any game. It’s “One Piece Night,” a special edition collaboration with Toei Animation.
About the tickets – you can purchase them only through the Seattle Mariners website at mariners.com/onepiece. Wait! There’s more!
There are special offers too. If you buy through that Special Ticket Offer, you will receive a limited-edition Mariners-themed One Piece t-shirt. And, and… you will also have access to the pregame activities – Victory Hall will host demonstrations of the One Piece card game.
But why April 8?
Well, besides being a Tuesday (Taco Tuesday, anyone?), it’s the Mariners’ first home series of the 2025 season against their AL West rivals, the Houston Astros. These two teams have a history, with the Astros dominating recent matchups. Remember the 2022 ALDS? The Astros swept the Mariners. Ouch.
And this “One Piece Night” adds a whole new layer of excitement to an already charged rivalry. It’s baseball and a chance for some serious fun.
This collaboration isn’t just a random mashup; both sides are genuinely stoked. Lisa Yamatoya of Toei Animation said they were “thrilled to team up” with the Mariners, promising a “great night” for fans. Meanwhile, Liz McCloskey, Mariners Director of Sales Development & Group Events, also mentioned that they were thrilled to “collaborate with Toei Animation on ONE PIECE,” and added they have indeed exciting “unique collaborations” planned all season long.
Mariners embrace the trend: Anime and the expanding world of sports partnerships
This Mariners-One Piece crossover isn’t a solo voyage. The NFL’s Los Angeles Rams previously hosted a One Piece event, complete with themed giveaways and an in-game video. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers also had a One Piece game night. Even teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers have embraced anime in their presentations.
It’s clear: Anime is scoring big across the sports world, proving its mainstream appeal.
And baseball?
The Mariners aren’t the only MLB team catching the anime wave. The Boston Red Sox have a history with One Piece, having hosted themed nights and even a bobblehead giveaway. The San Francisco Giants have gone all-in, hosting “Anime Day” with Naruto Shippuden and even collaborating with Demon Slayer for the MLB World Tour Tokyo Series. It seems like every team is looking to tap into that passionate anime fanbase, and who can blame them, right!
But the Seattle Mariners are no strangers to creative collabs. They famously partnered with Nintendo, even sporting Nintendo logos on their jerseys in 2025! They’ve also celebrated legend Edgar Martinez with a special weekend. And created the “Vedder Cup” series with the San Diego Padres, honoring Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. And, aside from “One Piece Night”, they are holding an “Anime Day” in collaboration with Sakura-Con on Sunday, April 13, 2025. They’re proving that baseball can be about more than just balls and strikes.
The Seattle Mariners’ “One Piece Night” is a bold, exciting move, blending the worlds of sports and anime in a way that’s sure to thrill fans. Excited for the crossover?
The post After NFL and NBA, Anime Wave Hits MLB as Mariners and One Piece Collab for Epic Night appeared first on EssentiallySports.
