The Major League Baseball playoffs are here, which means the Boys of Summer are ready to battle for the ultimate prize – those oversized, coveted World Series rings.

What better time to look back at some of the very best baseball movies ever made? Some moved us or made us laugh. Others provided powerful lessons on the sport’s cultural impact.

All are worth a rewatch this time of year — in between playoff games, of course.

“The Natural”

Copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.

This 1984 keeper casts Robert Redford as an aging ballplayer attempting an unlikely comeback. Those “natural” talents helped him get this far, but his complicated past suggests that even God-given skills may not be enough. The all-star cast includes Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, and Richard Farnsworth under the direction of Barry Levinson (“Diner”) in his cinematic prime. “The Natural” packs plenty of magical realism into the narrative, focused on redemption and our all-American passion for second acts.

“Bull Durham”

Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.

Kevin Costner at the dawn of his legendary career. Susan Sarandon selling a sultry big-league “whisperer” like no other. A gangly Tim Robbins playing an “aw-shucks” pitcher coming into his own. There’s so much to love about this baseball rom-com, from the inspired dialogue to the bittersweet story of a minor league lifer coming oh, so close to The Show only to be upstaged by the new kid. Director Ron Shelton’s affinity for sports movies played out over multiple films (“Blue Chips,” “Tin Cup”), but he got the elixir just right with this 1988 gem.

“Field of Dreams”

Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB.

The 1989 sports fantasy has an almost spiritual pull on audiences, particularly sports fans. And understandably so. Once again, Costner is front and center in a story that weaves the national pastime together with fathers and sons, heartland USA, and redemption arcs.

The sublime cast, including Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster (his final big-screen role), and James Earl Jones — who gives gravitas to the ultimate baseball movie.

“If you build it, they will come.” Try fighting back the goosebumps whenever that line is uttered. If the film isn’t enough, there’s a Field of Dreams movie site attraction in Dyersville, Iowa, for movie lovers.

“42”

42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB.

This overlooked 2013 film recalls one of the sport’s most impactful players. Sure, Jackie Robinson broke the “color barrier” by becoming baseball’s first black player, but it’s how he did it, with grace, class, and nonviolence in his heart, that made him an icon.

The late, genuinely great Chadwick Boseman brings Jackie to life, capturing both the player and the man behind the moment. Harrison Ford’s supporting turn as Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ owner who took the biggest risk of his professional life by inserting Robinson into the lineup, is the film’s most welcome surprise.

Had “42” been made a few years later, it might have been stained by woke sentiments. Instead, it’s a fitting tribute to an American hero.

“Moneyball”

Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB.

A movie about baseball statistics? Yawn. Not even close in this case, thanks to the fascinating source material – author Michael Lewis’ tome of the same name.

Brad Pitt stars as GM Billy Beane in the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s, a mid-tier franchise that used a new approach to field a winning team. They couldn’t outspend the Yankees or Dodgers, but by deploying “sabermetrics” they defied the game’s odds.

It’s a fascinating look at modern baseball that’s given heft by a killer cast, including Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

“The Bad News Bears”

The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB.

Put this one in the “They couldn’t make THAT” today Hall of Fame. Walter Matthau plays the crusty coach of a ne’er-do-well Little League team that has more fight in it than even he realizes.

What makes it “problematic?” Consider the infamous scene where Matthau’s character passes out on the pitcher’s mound after one too many brews. Or how teammates swap racial slurs as casually as relay throws.

That’s not why these “Bears” are unforgettable. The film teems with fascinating characters, from pitching whiz Amanda (Tatum O’Neal) to bad boy Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley). The championship game is a keeper, brimming with suspense and the cold realities baseball supplies. 

“Major League”

Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved.

This 1989 corker captures the sillier side of baseball. The ensemble cast isn’t as deep as the Yankees’ Murderers’ Row, but everyone owned their parts to perfection. Tom Berenger. Charlie Sheen. Wesley Snipes. Corbin Bernsen. Bob Uecker. They’re all key elements in a seemingly inept Cleveland Indians (triggering!) franchise destined to lose enough games to spark the team’s sale.

Except they keep finding ways to win.

The comedy stays mostly faithful to the sport while doubling down on its colorful characters, crazy storylines, and underdog theatrics. Oh, and it’s relentlessly funny, even if it sparked two inferior sequels. 

“Eight Men Out”

Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB.

“Major League” offered a palate cleanser a year after this sobering 1988 drama. Director John Sayles recreates the Black Sox Scandal, recalling how a pennant-winning team threw the World Series to appease the betting crowd. And, of course, earn a little scratch at a time when athletes weren’t as absurdly wealthy as they are today.

The White Sox assembled a “can’t-miss” squad of stars, but the persnickety owners refused to reward them for an unforgettable season. Enter some opportunistic gamblers who give key players an offer they should refuse, but don’t.

The strong cast includes D.B. Sweeney, John Cusack, and, yes, Charlie Sheen.

It’s baseball’s darkest hour, a cautionary tale that has kept the sport (mostly) clean ever since. We’ll leave the Barry Bonds debate for another day.

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Honorable Mention: “The Naked Gun”

No, director David Zucker’s spoof classic isn’t a baseball film, per se, though the film’s extended finale does take place during a baseball game. Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) impersonates an umpire to stop an assassination, finding himself calling balls and strikes in the process.

It’s one of the funniest moments of the film, capped by Drebin-the-umpire crying, “strike threeeee!” before the ball ever reaches the catcher’s mitt. It’s a perfectly silly baseball sequence, and one impossible not to include here.

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Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.