MLB players today are Generation Z and Millennials, meaning they grew up as Pokemon took over the world. As such, many of them have their personal favorite Pokemon, and some of the game’s biggest stars were asked by MLB to share. As you can expect, one Pokemon in particular got a lot of love, including from perennial MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani.
Gen-1 Pokemon got most of the love, with both Mike Trout and Tarik Skubal naming Charizard as their favorite. Pete Alonso, who’s a big, strong guy, chose the similarly large Blastoise as his favorite.
Starting pitcher Hunter Brown picked Snorlax, which is fitting for someone who only plays once every five days, while Jordan Walker–who is having something of a breakout season–has the inspired pick of Dialga.
Colton Cowser clearly enjoys Pokemon in his downtime, saying he’s “just trying to Master Set the Mega Evolution base.”
“I’m like four cards away,” he added, without actually naming a favorite.
But, of course, there was a very clear consensus among the crowd: Pikachu. Fifteen different players picked the electric rat, including Shohei Ohtani. And yet not one person chose Psyduck. Shameful.
Pokemon is certainly keeping fans busy, with Pokopia launching to rave reviews last month. The next mainline games, Pokemon Winds and Waves, will arrive in 2027.