The Offseason’s Greatest Hits: Fans Connected with MLB Teams Ahead of the 2026 Season
- Alyssa Klauminzer
- 9 hours ago
- 8 min read
MLB season is right around the corner! Just before spring training and the World Baseball Classic got underway, many teams had fan fests that gave fans the chance to interact with their teams.
Several fans from across the league shared their experiences attending their teams' fan-centric events.
Jules (@notsocooljules on Twitter/X) went to Redsfest in January. This was her fourth time attending the event, and she expressed that the event is fun and has something to offer for every fan. Reds fans have the opportunity to meet, get pictures and autographs from current and former players, and coaches. Redsfest offers fans the chance to interact with both the team and other fans, bringing together the Reds community.
"It's a fun way to connect with other fans, especially people I've been following for a while on social media," Jules said. "This event always makes me feel more connected as a fan."
Maddy (@MadSeves0806 on Twitter/X) went to the Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up in January. This was her second time attending the event, and she has always had a positive experience, especially due to the politeness of the staff and how well the event is planned out. The Winter Warm-Up may take place before the season, but Maddy said that the event is one of the best parts of the season!
"This event means a lot to me as a fan. During the season, there aren’t nearly enough opportunities to collect autographs, so getting the opportunities during Winter Warm Up means so much," Maddy said. "I also feel more connected to my team. My friends and I have gone to the Writers Dinner [for] the last couple of years, and we’ve become 'besties' with Coach Oliver Marmol, which is pretty cool. Plus, we treat the players and coaches like they’re 'real people,' so I think that’s what kind of draws them to us."
The Twins do an amazing job at bringing fans together, and that is exactly what Shayla (@shaylarz on Twitter/X), Rachel (@mntwinsrachel on Twitter/X) and Megan (@mntwinsfan07 on Twitter/X) had the chance to do at TwinsFest in January.
Shayla has been to all but one TwinsFest since 2010. Her favorite thing about the event is getting to kick off the season with her friends and fellow fans and interact with players and alumni.
"As a fan, it feels like Twins are doing what they can to keep people engaged, especially when things aren't looking so hot on the baseball side of things. There's something for everyone at TwinsFest. And with it occurring in the midst of a Minnesota winter, it's a reminder that warm, sunny days are around the corner! It truly gets me excited for the upcoming season," Shayla said.
Shayla shared her personal experience on how TwinsFest has allowed her to connect with her favorite team: "I am a bit of a 'personality' on the fan side of Twins social media, and it's to the point where players, alumni, and people in the front office know who I am, so it serves as an opportunity to actually get to talk to folks not behind a screen. It's really cool to be standing around the ballpark and have a player come up and say, 'Hi Shayla!' or a front office person introduce me as 'The Commish.' For a couple days, we're all on the same level."
"It's a very important event to me and breaks up the monotony of winter, which is something that I very much need. And nothing is forever: you never know when a player you like will no longer be on the team or involved with the organization, so getting an opportunity to say 'Hello' and "Thank you for bringing joy into my life' is something I look forward to every year," Shayla said.
This was Rachel's third year in a row attending TwinsFest: "I truly always have the best time at TwinsFest! A couple of years ago, they started an event called TwinsFest Live, the night before our traditional fan fest (Signature Saturday), where the players are basically walking around, free to chat with and get photos with. This has truly elevated the fan experience for me, getting to interact with the players on a much more personal level."
"This is the kickoff to the season; it gets me hyped up and it's good to see and chat to all of my favorite players and hand out my friendship bracelets," she said.
Like Shayla, Rachel gets recognized by the team now, and this event lets her interact with them more: "The first year I attended, I made a couple of friendship bracelets for my favorite players. The next year, I made them for everyone, and have basically become known as the official friendship bracelet maker of the Twins. Players even know my name and know who I am now that I've made bracelets for everyone!"
Megan has attended TwinsFest several times, and her favorite part of the weekend is TwinsFest live: "I love that it is more informal and that you are essentially hanging out with current and former players. You are able to have actual conversations with them and take photos! I also loved having a girls night with the group of ladies that I met through Twitter. We are now such a close group of friends!"
"It means that the season is so close! Shortly after TwinsFest the players report to spring training. It brings the fans together to get everyone excited for the season. This year was special because we got to know our new manager and the coaching staff as well as some new faces on the team. It’s something I always look forward to," Megan said.
Shannon (@LoveTheRox on Twitter/X) went to the Rockies Fest in January. She attends the event every year and it's one of her favorite traditions, as it marks the kick off for a new season and indicates that baseball season is right around the corner.
A unique aspect of Rockies Fest is their Rockies Garage Sale, which is Shannon's favorite part of the event. "They sell very unique items, such as metal signs, trash cans, stadium chairs, turnstiles, and even the metal lettering that used to hang on the stadium, for very reasonable prices. There are also hats, former stadium giveaways like bobbleheads, jerseys, bats, signed balls, etc., for sale. My absolute favorite collectable memorabilia has come from this sale!"
Shannon expressed that this event means the Rockies care about their fans and want to give back and get them excited. It also allows her to reconnect with her baseball friends, including Rockies employees and other fans she's met throughout her time as a season ticket holder.
"Any chance I have to bond with the Rockies and see things behind the scenes helps build memories and connection."
Brenna, a member of the Bombshell Baseball Club, also attended this year's Rockies Fest. "I loved being able to interact with the players and go to the Q&A sessions and hear things from a player's perspective. The event honestly means a lot because the players are taking time out of their offseasons and preseason routines to sign autographs, go to Q&A sessions, and just interact with fans. You can also see how much the organization means to the alumni who come back and are still very involved within the organization!"
She expressed just how special this event is for Rockies fans of all ages to get the chance to see and interact with their favorite players of the past, present, and future.
Jacob (@MySoxSummer on Twitter/X) took his daughters, 9-year-old Mae and 7-year-old Tess, to the SoxFest in January. This was Mae's second time attending the event and Tess's first. Jacob shared that both girls had the chance to meet and get autographs from their favorite White Sox players, Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery. And they love that this event means baseball season is starting soon!
Taylor (@TayVictoria8 on Twitter/X) went to the Rays Fan Fest in February. It's an event she tries to attend every year, as she says it feels like the emotional start of the baseball season, and it gives fans the chance to run into familiar faces, meet other fans, and remember that they’re part of something bigger than just watching games on TV.
"It felt like a true community block party. The Rays held it outside the Trop (it's almost ready!), and the energy was high from the start. It was warm, crowded, and genuinely fun. Players were out interacting with fans, the merchandise yard sale had long lines, and everything felt very organized," Taylor said.
Taylor shared that the event made everyone on the team, players and front office alike, feel approachable. "One moment that stood out to me was seeing CEO Ken Babby greeting fans at the entrance! Being able to see players and leadership in a relaxed setting builds a different kind of connection. It makes the team feel more human and more tied to the community."
While the Mets didn't have a fan fest this year, Hayley, Jaclyn, and Sabrina, all members of the Bombshell Baseball Club, shared their experiences from last year's Mets Amazin' Day. The event was hosted at Citi Field, which gave fans the chance to see parts of the stadium that aren't accessible to fans during games, a look at the behind-the-scenes for the Mets, opportunities to hear from and interact with players, and overall bring fans closer to the team.
"My favorite part of Mets Amazin' Day was probably the energy of the event. We were coming off of being in the NLCS, and there was a lot of excitement around the team and the future," Jaclyn said. "Getting to be in unique spaces in the stadium and current and former players walking around to different activities made for a fun environment. "
Hayley shared her experience meeting one of her all-time favorite players: "I met Mike Piazza, which had been a dream since childhood, so that was definitely the highlight of my 2025 fan fest experience. The opportunities to interact with players in general, and through either autographs or photo ops, were my favorite parts of the festival."
Sabrina shared a special moment she had at last year's event: "My favorite part of the event was meeting and getting an autograph from former player Todd Zeile. I told him that he was my mom's favorite player, so he offered to take a photo with me so that I could show her!"
With the positive experience fans had at Mets Amazin' Day in 2025, hopefully the team will bring it back in the future to bring more opportunities for fans and create lasting memories and bonds with the team.
"As a fan, it means a lot for my team to put together an event for us to not only interact with prominent people from the Mets, but also connect with other fans. It’s also great to potentially see some of my favorite players and let them know how much they mean to me," Sabrina said.
I attended Guards Fest in 2023 and 2024, and my family and I loved being able to meet and interact with players, be around other Guardians fans, and feel the hype of baseball season in the middle of winter. The team, however, decided last year to turn Guards Fest into a triennial event (once every three years), stating that it was what fans would prefer, when the reaction of fans over the announcement expressed anything but. It feels like there is a wall between the Guardians and the fans in Cleveland, as the team is not very accessible, especially for those who are not season ticket holders. With the experiences other MLB fans have shared from their teams' fan fests, hopefully, the Guardians and other teams realize the opportunity they have to create a special event that brings together fans and the team as one community.
Here's to a happy 2026 season! (And hopefully seeing more of these events next year!)
Edited by Mithzi Silva
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