‘Backyard Baseball ’01’ Is Coming Back to Steam and Mobile, and I Can’t Wait To Get up to the Plate

After a successful grand slam with Backyard Baseball ’97? It’s time to put on our uniforms and get back onto the field. Partnering with the MLB, Backyard Baseball ’01 is bringing 28 of the original 31 pint-sized players back to the field. This reintroduction to modern platforms looks like it’ll be coming out swinging. Not only will we be able to bring Derek Jeter and crew back onto the mound, but the official partnership with the MLB means that we can play as some of our favorite teams once again. It’s a great time to be a fan of the Backyard franchise. With almost all of the Backyard Sports games getting rereleases, sports games are back on the menu. I’m eager to make my way back onto the pitcher’s mound for another shot at a championship.

The ‘Backyard Baseball’ Franchise Got Me Interested in the Sport Back in the Day, and Nostalgia Rules the World

Just a few short weeks after Backyard Baseball ’97 made the run to consoles, we’ve got more baseball goodness on the horizon. Backyard Baseball ’01 is heading to Steam and Mobile platforms on July 8, and I couldn’t be more ready. After revisiting BB’97 and seeing how technically solid the game still is, I can only imagine I’ll be in here on day one. Plus, getting a chance to reunite with Derek “The Heater” Jeter is going to be surprisingly comforting.

While everybody else will be coming to the playground, three characters will be missing from this edition of the game. Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, and Barry Bonds will not be available to use, assuming issues with licensing. But my boy Jose Canseco made the cut, and I’m excited to see what he and Pablo Sanchez can make happen.

Seeing as the Backyard Sports renaissance is going incredibly strong, what are our chances of getting a brand-new entry in the franchise? The Backyard Sports series hasn’t seen a new entry since 2015, and I think that nostalgic players such as myself would love to see another entry in this original style. Keep the graphics and gameplay simple, and give us a way to relive our favorite pastimes as adults — or share some new memories with our kids.