In a historic partnership that bridges professional sports, Japanese pop culture, and global storytelling, MLB Players, Inc., OneTeam Partners, and Acky Bright’s BW NYC Studios, Inc. have announced a groundbreaking new sci-fi manga: GalaXic Baseball League! This intergalactic adventure launches as a manga series published by VIZ Media, the world’s leading publisher of manga.
GalaXic Baseball League is the world’s first original manga IP to feature active MLB players, with story and illustrations by acclaimed Japanese artist and mangaka Acky Bright. Bright is a world-renowned visual artist best known for his iconic “WcDonald’s” global campaign and his critically acclaimed work with DC Comics and Marvel.
“As I watched the 2023 World Baseball Classic final, I kept seeing people saying, ‘Reality just outdid manga!’ That became the seed for this entire story. At the time, I never imagined that my dream of creating a baseball manga would one day become reality – together with MLB Players, Inc. Now, I’m excited to finally be able to share this story with everyone. I hope readers can escape into an epic that brings the heart and soul of baseball to life in another galaxy.”
Acky Bright
A Historic Collaboration:
It was conceived as a new, sprawling saga, GalaXic Baseball League ventures into a new frontier of baseball and entertainment, drawing on the worldwide influence from manga and anime storytelling. With this collaboration with MLB Players Inc. it provides a unique and groundbreaking opportunity for Viz Media to develop an original manga series that the game while exploring a bold and futuristic frontier. Former editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Jump, Hisashi SASAKI is guiding the editorial development of the series. Weekly Shonen Jump is home to big manga titles such as My Hero Academia, One Piece, Demon Slayer, and Naruto.
“When Acky shared his idea of fusing the global language of manga with the global passion for baseball, it ignited a spark in my manga editor’s soul. I am thrilled to be a part of this project and to have the opportunity to deliver this story to a global manga audience. It’s an honor to be involved in such a remarkable endeavor.”
Hisashi SASAKI, Former editor-in-chief of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump.
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The First Pitch starts this summer. Digital serialization starts exclusively on July 2nd, 2026 on the Viz Media App. The print releases begins in October 2026 with volume one. You can sign up for future updates at the GalaXic Baseball League’s official website.
In the distant future, baseball has rocketed into the cosmos. What was once America’s pastime is now a high-stakes interplanetary competition in which teams from every corner of the universe battle for glory. Amid a sinister plot to wreak havoc on the galaxy, legendary baseball players team up with two unlikely heroes in their quest to save Earth – and the heart and soul of baseball.
Source: Press Release
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