LOS ANGELES -- It’s hard not to laugh when you’re around Adam Devine. The actor and comedian brings the same infectious energy he’s shown in “Pitch Perfect,” “Workaholics” and “The Righteous Gemstones” to an MLB promo shoot in Los Angeles.
On set, and with the help of some Hollywood green-screen magic, Devine interacted with digital versions of some of the game’s biggest stars -- Julio Rodríguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Paul Skenes, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Shohei Ohtani -- ad-libbing and reacting to each player’s signature talent for a new marketing campaign: “You Seeing This? Baseball Is Something Else.”
At one point, he strolled up to home plate with a bag of Cracker Jack and riffed off a virtual Judge home run, sending the crew behind the camera into muffled laughter.
“I’ve always loved baseball,” Devine said, while on a break from shooting. “I was so excited when I got the call to do this, to be a little closer to the game, feeling like I’m a part of the big leagues.”
The “You Seeing This?” campaign launched on Wednesday across broadcast, cable and digital platforms, including MLB broadcast partners’ media networks, MLB.com, MLB Network, MLB.TV and social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
When it comes to today’s players, such as the stars he’s interacting with in the promo, Devine singled out one of his favorites to watch.
“Aaron Judge. He is such a stud. We shot 'The Righteous Gemstones' in Charleston and he played in the Minors there,” Devine recalled. “They had a life-size cutout of him on the wall, and I didn’t even come up to this man’s belly button. I didn’t realize they allowed giants to play professional baseball, but they do, and his name is Aaron Judge, and he’s pretty incredible.”
Baseball has always been a part of Devine’s life, which might explain why, as he joked about in his 2019 Netflix stand-up special, he thought “Pitch Perfect” was a baseball movie. When he first auditioned, he walked in thinking he’d be swinging a bat, not singing a cappella. Still, he managed to improvise his way through the audition, and ultimately, landed the role.
Asked which one he'd choose if he could have been in any baseball movie, he of course went with the classics.
“'The Sandlot.' Every kid was like, ‘I wish I could be in that movie,’” Devine said. “'Bull Durham' was a favorite, too. And 'Field of Dreams,' which takes place in Iowa, where I’m from.”
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, and raised in Omaha, Neb., Devine once had big league dreams of his own before a childhood accident changed everything.
“When I was a kid, like most kids, I thought, ‘I'm going pro. I'm gonna get the call.’ And then I had a bad accident. I was hit by a cement truck, and I couldn't walk. And, those dreams were dashed.”
The injury may have ended his young playing days, but not his love for the game.
“I would always follow along, and if it wasn't for that accident, I probably would be a living legend,” he joked with his signature grin.
During his recovery, baseball -- and its players -- provided real inspiration.
“When I was in my hospital bed, some nurses knew I loved baseball, and someone who knew someone got to Cal Ripken Jr.” he said. “He wrote me this nice letter and sent a signed picture and a signed baseball. It meant the world. My mom still has it.
“Then he became the ‘Iron Man’, and his streak kept going. Never missed a game, never got sick or hurt. That was a little point of inspiration for me to get better – to be that guy who can always show up.”
Though Devine hasn’t met Ripken yet, he did meet another of his childhood heroes, Ken Griffey Jr., at the 2023 All-Star Celebrity Softball Game in Seattle.
“I met him briefly and was so excited,” he said. “Then, I met him again recently at a music festival, and he remembered meeting me. He knew who I was, which was shocking. I was such a Ken Griffey Jr. fan, as everyone was back in the day.”
Devine had been slated to play in that game, but ended up on the Celebrity IL.
“I wish I could have played. I was having hip surgery in a week, so the doctor said, ‘Don’t play baseball.’” Devine let out a chuckle and quipped, “This article is gonna make me sound like I’m an 88-year-old man.”
Still, the experience in Seattle was a blast: “It was so fun. The atmosphere was great. Everybody was having a great time, and everyone was so nice and accommodating.”
The promo shoot gave Devine a chance to blend his love of baseball with his comedic style and to finally step, in his own way, into the big leagues.
And if the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game comes calling again? Devine grinned wide once more.
“Absolutely," Devine said. "Now these hips can move.”