It’s October, which means that it’s high tide for baseball fans hoping to see their favorite team advance in the playoffs and possibly make it to the World Series. But we’re not here to discuss the current state of professional baseball in the real world. Instead, we’re going to create the baseball team of our dreams, starring the heroes of the DC Universe.

Walk with me here: being on a superhero team like the Justice League, Justice Society of America, Titans or the Authority isn’t all that different from being on a sports team, even a professional one. Whenever you assemble a group of gifted people who all must act in concert with one another in front of the entire world, you’ve got to negotiate between their different personalities. So, I was motivated by both the physical abilities and powers of the DC characters on this fantasy baseball team as much as I was by their individual personalities. However, I did decide to rule out Flashes and other speedsters, as well as Superman and his fellow Kryptonians. They just feel too unfairly advantaged. (And Wally West would definitely eat all the sunflower seeds in the dugout.)

But with that out of the way, let’s take a look at my starting lineup!

First, we’ll start off with the pitcher: Midnighter. While I can’t imagine Midnighter sitting down and watching the World Series, I do know that he’d make one heck of a pitcher because of the fight computer inside his brain. If you’re not familiar, whenever Midnighter is about to jump into a scuffle, his fight computer runs through every possible outcome of the fight, allowing him to pick the best course of action against his opponent. This makes him a natural fit for pitcher because the position requires a lot of decision-making on the mound. Midnighter is excellent at sizing up his opponents, and he also stays cool under pressure.

And who will catch Midnighter’s pitches? Sgt. Rock, of course. As the leader of Easy Company, DC’s World War II Army infantry unit, Sgt. Rock is a seasoned and respected figure who has inspired men to follow him into the depths of hell. So, a game of baseball is a cakewalk for him. Catchers play an important role in coordinating and calling plays within the infield, and Sgt. Rock’s experience, grit and natural leadership skills would make him a great catcher.

Moving on, our first baseman is going to be Cassandra Cain’s Batgirl, because if anyone can hold their own against whatever is thrown their way, it’s Cass. There’s always something going on when you’re playing first base, as it’s, well, the first base that runners go to when the ball is in play. Cass would be a great first baseman because she’s got an unparalleled sense of focus (no Bill Buckner mishaps here) as well as incredible agility that will serve her well in chasing down fly balls or hustling to scoop up a ground ball. She’s also gifted at reading people’s body language, which would help her in making minute adjustments to ensure that she can tag a runner out.

Cass isn’t the only agile heroine on our team, because our second baseman is Vixen. Second base is a crucial position in baseball because the player has the opportunity to make double plays, or work with the third and first basemen to get two runners out, and that requires being light on your feet and fast. Vixen’s catlike reflexes and precision would easily make her as effective a second baseman as Dustin Pedroia at his prime, if not more so. And she would do it all in style.

Continuing on with our nimble infield players, we have Nightwing as our shortstop. A good shortstop is the baseball equivalent of a Swiss Army knife: they can do a lot of things. Nightwing is an acrobat and former Robin, and as one of the most universally-liked characters in DC Comics, it’s only natural that he play one of the most important positions in baseball in this lineup.

At third base, we have Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, only he isn’t using his power ring. Obviously, as a member of the Green Lantern Corps, Guy has tremendous willpower and minimal fear, which is why he was born to catch a baseball hurling 90 miles per hour directly at his face with nothing but a leather baseball glove and his signature bowl cut. Third basemen have to be on their toes because right-handed batters tend to hit the ball in their direction. And when they’re not scrambling to pick up a ground ball, third basemen have to be quick and fearless to put themselves in front of a hard-hit ball. Plus, third basemen often have to maneuver themselves immediately after catching a ball and make a hard throw to second base or the catcher to make a double play. Guy Gardner has never needed a power ring to prove to us that he’s one of the most dogged characters in the DC Universe, so he’s more than up to the task of playing third base.

Now we get to the outfield. Black Lightning will be holding it down as the team’s center fielder, where he’ll be reminding us all that he was an Olympic decathlete who won a gold medal in his youth. Beyond Jefferson’s athletic prowess, the man is a gifted leader, and part of playing center field is dictating to the left and right fielders where they should go when a fly ball is hit their way. Without Jefferson Pierce in center field, our team would collapse.

In left field, we have Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, who will be bringing lots of heart to the team. Left fielders aren’t typically as strong-armed as the rest of their teammates, which is why Jaime will be able to excel here without getting burnt out. With older teammates like Sgt. Rock, Black Lightning and Midnighter by his side, Jaime will have plenty of mentors to help him on his journey as Blue Beetle.

And lastly, Roy Harper will be our right fielder thanks to his tremendous arm strength. There are plenty of great archers in the DC Universe, but Green Arrow himself has admitted that Roy is the best of the bunch (see Green Arrow #1 from 2023). We’re going to need the arm strength that Roy acquired from his time as Arsenal and Red Arrow when he has to make the long throw from right field to third base. Guy Gardner will be up to the task of catching his passes, though.

Now, to wrap things up, we have a few more positions filled out by DC characters. Big Barda is the team’s designated hitter because not only would she be great at it, but she also shares half her name with one of baseball’s most iconic DHs, David “Big Papi” Ortiz. The team’s closer, or pitcher who closes out the game to give the team’s main pitcher a break, is Orion because of his intimidation factor. If you don’t believe me, just look up Jonathan Papelbon on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s issue from October 1, 2007, and tell me that you can’t see Orion pulling the same vibe on the pitcher’s mound. To keep Orion from going off the rails, we’ll have Lightray as our pitching coach in case someone needs to remind him that baseball isn’t war.

Our team manager is going to be Martian Manhunter, because we’re going to need a telepath, and he’ll happily pass the time in the dugout by eating his favorite food, Oreos. Next to him will be John Constantine, who serves no purpose on this team beyond being the token guy with a mouthful of chewing tobacco in the dugout. The team will be held together by batboy Kamandi, ballboy Forager, team doctor Dr. Leslie Thompkins, trainer Captain Atom (a gifted athlete himself) and equipment manager Ted Kord. The team’s social media presence will be presided over by Booster Gold, at least until somebody stops him. And lastly, the field itself will be Swamp Thing, because he is every blade of grass. Now let’s play some baseball!
 

Jules Chin Greene writes about comics, movies and superheroes for DC.com, and his work can also be found at Popverse, Nerdist and Multiverse of Color. Follow him on Instagram at @infinitevibes and Bluesky at @JulesChinGreene.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Jules Chin Greene and do not necessarily reflect those of DC, Warner Bros. or Skydance, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.