Jackie Robinson Day 2026: MLB celebrates Dodgers legend with universal No. 42 jerseys
Seventy-nine years after Jackie Robinson first took the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers, every player and coach took the field wearing No. 42.
Seventy-nine years after Jackie Robinson first took the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers, every player and coach in MLB took the field Wednesday wearing No. 42. MLB celebrated its annual Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, an occasion honoring the man who broke baseball’s color barrier.
The event goes back to 2004, with the tradition of wearing No. 42 beginning with Ken Griffey Jr. ’s request to don the retired number in 2007.
Soon, all the players were doing it. The day holds special significance for Robinson’s Los Angeles Dodgers, who were hosting the New York Mets, the team that plays closest to Robinson’s old stomping grounds in Brooklyn. Prior to the game, the two teams met at the Robinson statue outside Dodger Stadium in honor of the civil rights hero.
Members of the Dodgers and Mets gathered around the Jackie Robinson statue outside of Dodger Stadium to reflect upon Robinson’s continued impact on today’s game 💙 #Jackie42 pic. twitter. com/7tkSBkAIRv — MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2026 Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, one of only two African-American managers in MLB alongside Will Venable of the Chicago White Sox, addressed both teams and spoke of Robinson’s character : “You look at New York, you look at Los Angeles, probably the two most diverse cities in the world.