title image

Backyard Baseball '01

Sports

Ratings

Age

4+

Category

Sports

Languages

English

Backyard Baseball ‘01 is the authentic mobile revival of the beloved sports classic. Build your dream team from a roster of neighborhood legends like Pablo Sanchez and pint-sized versions of real-life MLB superstars. Experience the charm of backyard fields, unlockable power-ups, and the simple yet deep strategy that made the original a masterpiece of sports gaming.

Dinsun Expert Review

Our Expert Score

93/100

Backyard Baseball ‘01 on mobile is a nostalgic grand slam. For many, this was the definitive sports title of their childhood, and this port preserves every ounce of that magic. The star of the show is, of course, Pablo Sanchez—the 'Secret Weapon'—whose stats remain legendary. Seeing him alongside pint-sized versions of MLB legends like Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza is a joy that hasn't aged a day.

The gameplay is deceptively deep. While the controls are simple enough for anyone to pick up, mastering the power-ups (like the Aluminum Power bat or the Fireball pitch) and managing the diverse skill sets of the neighborhood kids requires real strategy. The commentary by Sunny Day and Vinnie the Gooch remains some of the best in sports gaming history, full of humor and personality. It’s a perfect mobile revival that proves good gameplay and character charm are timeless.

Dinsun reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026

Features

1

Authentic 2001 Roster

2

MLB Licensed Pros

3

Customizable Teams

4

Retro Graphics

Tips & Walkthrough

Gameplays

Screenshot

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Q&A

Yes, it features 30 MLB pros as kids, including icons from the 2001 era.

Ratings & Reviews

A classic nostalgic childhood
Tue Sep 23 2025 St0rm2

Playing this game as a kid was a core memory for me. It's a fantastic way to introduce new generations to baseball and get families involved in sports together. My favorite character is Kenny Kawaguchi; his use of a wheelchair is a great example of the game's focus on inclusion. For a modern re-release, adding cloud save functionality is essential. This would allow players to access their game progress across all their devices, from an iPhone to an iPad. Additionally, releasing a version for Mac computers would open the game up to a wider audience. Additionally, this game needs to tweak to be more touch responsive Ultimately, Backyard Baseball '01 remains a delightful trip down memory lane. While it could use a few modern tweaks like cloud saves and better touch responsiveness, its timeless charm, inclusive characters like Kenny Kawaguchi, and simple, fun gameplay make it a must-play for anyone who wants to revisit their childhood or share the joy of baseball with a new generation.

Childhood classic
Wed Jul 09 2025 Franco4545

I still own my copy on disc from all those years ago. But being able to play this on my phone now is nuts. It’s the same game that it was then and now I can take it anywhere. It’s a shame that 3 of the players aren’t in the game but they’re actually replaced with some solid created players. Also I wish the old player baseball cards for mlb players were still in the game, but maybe that was a copyright issue. The old bugs I’ve found are in my season mode the created player “Chase Walton” I think, has no stamina lose when pitching. His stamina goes down very slow and resets each inning to 100%. Other than that the controls are fine and the game runs smooth. And maybe it’s my memory but I could have swore Pablo was stronger and some of the others were a little faster, Kenny Loften and Pete wheeler in particular. But all in all I’m glad this classic lives on

Just not as good but
Sat Jan 03 2026 Lego, Star Wars lover

Backyard baseball 01 is ok it’s fun to see actual baseball players in the game but it’s just not like backyard baseball 97 it’s gameplay is just not as smooth but if I wanted to Stendhal my money on something at least it will go to a good cause just a thought as a fan would love to see backyard golf now I know it’s not the first sport you think of but here me out when you begin you pick your golfer and caddie out of the kids may be throw some pro golfers in with the rest for quick play some holes could be Petrovich pastures and Phillips field you can choose between your clubs a driver a spoon a 7 iron and your putter and with special powers like robot ball were when you putt it always makes it in the hole your announcers of course sunny day and the legend himself the ‘’lizard’’ chuck Mathew’s as a young fan who finally gets some family friendly games to play thank you playground productions even though 01 is not your best game good job. 👏

Just like I remember except…
Sun Sep 07 2025 iPhoneFan700

2 iPhone specific fixes I would recommend to the Devs: 1. The iPhone “home” bar at bottom of the screen should fade out in full screen apps like this. Currently it does not, it is constant and blocking a portion of the game. (iPhone 11, iOS 18.1) 2. I understand this is not a 16:9 game but if you’re sticking a stationary non-changing background image behind the game, players now have to worry about screen burn-in, especially when playing the game for long periods of time. It just seems like this was an after thought and I would prefer it be black or animated or fade out every so often so I’m not worried about screen burn-in. The game itself is just like I remember, but really well optimized for the iPhone! I honestly cant believe you guys removed the Oakland from the Athletics. I’m sure MLB made you do that, but it breaks my heart no city even wants to be associated with my favorite team and this greedy owner. 💚💛 Anyway, great game, I loved playing when I was young and great job by the devs to bring it to iPhone in its practically original form!

Classic
Tue Jul 15 2025 Afgjvddniycssf

Glad to finally see Backyard Baseball 2001! Can’t wait for all the other Backyard Sports to be released. I’ve been playing BYB ‘97 and really like ‘01. I did notice the strike zone is tight on ‘01, and the ball will be a strike if it touches the edge of the strike zone unlike ‘97. Hitting seems easier on ‘01. I like how you can speed up batting practice after you hit the ball. I also like the sound notifying you of a power up earned. It would be nice to have an explanation before the game starts as to why a certain player gets skill points taken away or added (ex: playing against rival team, etc.) Overall great game. Wish there was an online mode for all of the BYS app games.

Nostalgic but finicky
Fri Jul 18 2025 Dirtymaloog

The game is great, brings back very fond memories from my childhood. The change over to IOS is a little buggy. My biggest issue is when hitting, I’ll tap the screen to swing the back but it doesn’t register. It’s frustrating when that happens, as well as when fielding, I’ll tap on the green spot where the ball is going. The fielder will be in the position and will still drop the ball. Maybe that’s something I don’t remember much from my childhood but if they could add a button on the side of the screen to make batting easier that’d be great

Great game, needs small tweaks
Fri Oct 24 2025 Eheller2

A great option for the mobile version would be to have a button on the right hand side of the screen to swing, instead of having to touch inside the batters box. Your thumb gets in the way of trying to see the pitch. Additionally for switching stances you could have the button on left hand side. I don’t even use stances because I accidentally swing if I try. I think this would improve the mobile experience greatly. Otherwise love the game and great work getting this on a mobile platform

HUGE FAN, but…
Wed Nov 12 2025 Williamtheriot

Literally I want nothing more than to be able to relive my childhood by playing all of the backyard sports games. However, these apps are not giving me the excitement I felt then. The year is 2025, to play these games, the controls and layout should reflect that. There’s several games in the App Store that use better layouts that make more sense than what is being put out on these apps. Please modernize the controls. I’ve purchased every app you’ve put out and would love to continue to support this franchise, but please for the love of god figure out how to make the controls better.

Some Youtube Videos found!

News found!

Backyard Baseball '01 release date announcedBackyard Baseball '01 release date announced

Playground Productions has announced that Backyard Baseball '01 will be released for PC, iOS and Android on July 8, 2025.

ESPN Wed Jul 23 2025

Backyard Baseball 2001 Game Returns With 28 Original MLB StarsBackyard Baseball 2001 Game Returns With 28 Original MLB Stars

Backyard Baseball '01 re-launch will have 28 MLB stars—including Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza and Chipper Jones—missing just three from the...

Sportico.com Wed Jul 23 2025

Classic sports video game to re-launch July 8: See which MLB players returnClassic sports video game to re-launch July 8: See which MLB players return

"Backyard Baseball '01," the classic sports video game, will be re-released on July 8, the game's publisher announced Monday.

Cleveland.com Wed Jul 23 2025

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