The Best Baseball Movies for Kids and Families
TL;DR: Looking for baseball movies that won't bore the kids or make you cringe? The Sandlot is the GOAT for ages 8+, Rookie of the Year hits the sweet spot for younger kids (6+), and A League of Their Own is perfect for families ready to talk about history and gender. Skip The Bad News Bears unless you're cool with 1970s-level inappropriate language.
Baseball movies occupy this weird space where they're either timeless classics or unwatchable garbage with no in-between. The good ones teach teamwork, perseverance, and how to deal with failure—which, let's be honest, is most of what baseball actually is. The bad ones are just... long.
Here's the thing about baseball movies for kids: they work best when they're not really about baseball. They're about friendship, believing in yourself, or overcoming impossible odds. The baseball is just the vehicle. When a movie forgets this and gets too deep into the mechanics of the sport, you lose half your audience (and probably the parent who doesn't care about ERAs).
Ages 8+ | 1993 | PG
This is it. This is the one. If your kid watches exactly one baseball movie in their entire childhood, make it The Sandlot. It's not just a baseball movie—it's a movie about summer, friendship, first crushes, and that one terrifying neighbor kid every neighborhood had in the '90s.
The baseball scenes are great, but what makes this movie work is everything around them. The kids feel like actual kids, not Hollywood's idea of kids. They're goofy, they're mean to each other in that way friends are, and they get themselves into increasingly ridiculous situations (the pool scene with Wendy Peffercorn is chef's kiss).
Content heads-up: There's some mild language and the kids get into situations that would give modern parents heart palpitations (climbing fences, dealing with "the beast," zero adult supervision). But that's kind of the point—it's a nostalgia trip to a time when kids just... went outside and figured it out.
Why it works: The movie understands that childhood summers feel eternal when you're in them. Every kid who watches this will want to grab their friends and go play outside, which is honestly the best possible outcome of screen time.
Ages 6+ | 1993 | PG
A 12-year-old breaks his arm, it heals weird, and suddenly he can throw 100+ mph fastballs and gets signed to the Chicago Cubs. Is this medically accurate? Absolutely not. Is it a fun fantasy that every kid who's ever played Little League has had? 100%.
This movie is pure wish fulfillment, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's got heart, it's funny without being annoying, and it moves fast enough that younger kids won't get bored. Plus, Gary Busey is in it being absolutely unhinged, which is always entertaining.
What parents should know: This is lighter and less edgy than The Sandlot. Good starter baseball movie for kids who are just getting into the sport or who aren't quite ready for the emotional depth of some of the other picks on this list.
Ages 6+ | 1994 | PG
A kid in foster care prays for the worst team in baseball to win the pennant, and literal angels show up to help. It's wholesome, it's got Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a young Matthew McConaughey, and it will absolutely make you cry if you have any feelings about kids wanting families.
The baseball is secondary to the emotional core here, which is about believing in things you can't see and finding family where you can. It's sentimental without being saccharine, and the angel effects hold up surprisingly well for a 1994 movie.
Emotional content warning: The foster care storyline is handled well, but it's genuinely sad in parts. If your kid is sensitive to themes about kids without parents or family separation, maybe save this one for when they're a bit older or watch it together so you can talk through it.
Ages 10+ | 1992 | PG
"There's no crying in baseball!" You know this line even if you've never seen the movie. But here's what's wild: this movie is actually good. Like, legitimately well-made, historically interesting, and funny without being dumb.
It's about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during WWII, and it doesn't pull punches about sexism, family dynamics, or what women had to deal with to be taken seriously in sports. Geena Davis and Lori Petty are fantastic as sisters with completely different approaches to life and baseball, and Tom Hanks is perfectly cast as a washed-up drunk manager who learns to respect his team.
Why it's great for families: This is one of those rare movies that works on multiple levels. Younger kids will enjoy the baseball and the comedy. Older kids and teens will pick up on the gender politics and historical context. Parents will appreciate that it's actually entertaining and not just "good for a kids' movie."
Content note: Some drinking, mild language, and adult themes about marriage, sexism, and women's autonomy. Nothing graphic, but this is definitely more mature than Rookie of the Year.
Ages 8+ | 2002 | G
Dennis Quaid plays a high school baseball coach who makes a deal with his team: if they win the district championship, he'll try out for the majors. They win. He makes the team. At age 35. It's based on a true story, which automatically makes it 10x more impressive.
This is a G-rated Disney movie that somehow doesn't feel sanitized or boring. It's about second chances, keeping promises, and what it means to pursue a dream when everyone (including yourself) thinks you're too old. The baseball is realistic, the family dynamics feel genuine, and it doesn't rely on wacky hijinks to keep things interesting.
Why it resonates: Every parent watching this will feel the tension between pursuing personal dreams and family responsibilities. Every kid will see that it's never too late to try something new. It's inspiring without being preachy.
Ages 13+ | 1976 | PG
Look, this movie is a classic, and it's got some genuinely funny moments. But it's also a 1970s movie with 1970s attitudes about what's appropriate for kids' movies. There's drinking, smoking, lots of language that would never fly in a PG movie today, and some racial/gender humor that aged like milk.
If you want to watch it for nostalgia or to show your older teen what comedy used to look like, go for it. But don't put this on for your 8-year-old expecting The Sandlot vibes. It's a different beast entirely.
Ages 11+ | 2006 | PG-13
Three adult nerds form a baseball team to take on Little League bullies. It's got some funny moments, but it's also got a lot of humor that doesn't land and some genuinely uncomfortable stuff about bullying and revenge. Rob Schneider is in it, which should tell you everything you need to know about the comedy style.
Not terrible, but there are better options on this list. If your kid has already seen everything else and really wants more baseball movies, fine. But don't start here.
If your kid is actually into baseball (not just tolerating it), documentaries can be amazing. Ken Burns' Baseball is obviously the gold standard, but it's 18+ hours long, so maybe not for a casual Friday night.
For something more digestible, check out shorter docs about specific players or moments. 42 (about Jackie Robinson) is technically a narrative film but plays like a documentary and is excellent for ages 10+ if you're ready to have conversations about racism and civil rights.
Ages 6-8: Start with Rookie of the Year or Angels in the Outfield. Both are gentle, fun, and won't require much explanation of adult themes.
Ages 8-11: The Sandlot is the move. Also The Rookie if they're into true stories.
Ages 11+: Everything on this list is fair game, including A League of Their Own which has the most to discuss afterward.
Teens: If they're genuinely interested in baseball, this is when you can introduce Moneyball (more about statistics and management than playing) or 42 (about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier).
Baseball movies at their best are about failure. Baseball is a game where you fail 70% of the time and you're considered elite. That's a powerful metaphor for kids to internalize—that failure is built into the process, that perseverance matters more than natural talent, that showing up every day is what counts.
The best baseball movies also understand team dynamics in ways that other sports movies often don't. Basketball and football movies tend to focus on the star player. Baseball movies are forced to acknowledge that it takes nine people working together, that the kid in right field matters as much as the pitcher in crucial moments.
Plus, baseball movies tend to be set in summer, and there's something about that combination—long days, close friends, the feeling that anything could happen—that just works on screen.
Start with The Sandlot. If your kid likes it, move to A League of Their Own or The Rookie depending on whether they want history or inspiration. Save Angels in the Outfield for when you're ready for tears.
And if your kid watches The Sandlot and immediately wants to go outside and play baseball with their friends? That's not just a win—that's a home run.
Want more recommendations? Check out sports movies for kids or family movies that don't suck.