MLB Play Frequently Asked Questions
New for 2023
What is the difference between a Reward and a Prize?
Rewards are virtual items, such as avatars and wallpapers that you can earn and use to customize your MLB Play Profile. Prizes are tangible items that are available to be in won in MLB Play’s prize contest, which is governed by these Official Rules.
What Prizes can I win?
If you are eligible to compete in MLB Play’s prize contest, you could win prizes like MLB.TV subscriptions, MLBShop.com gift cards, SeatGeek credit to purchase tickets to MLB games, and more.
Who is eligible to win Prizes?
More information regarding eligibility can be found in the Official Rules for MLB Play’s prize contest: https://www.mlb.com/apps/play/official-rules
How do I redeem my Prizes?
If you win a Prize, you will receive a notification message with instructions on how to claim and redeem.
Can I win cash?
Beat the Streak presented by BetMGM is a unique contest (separate from MLB Play’s prize contest) for users 21 years and older that features a cash prize. If you are 21 or older, you can participate in Beat the Streak via MLB Play. See Beat the Streak’s Official Rules for eligibility terms and to learn more: https://www.mlb.com/apps/beat-the-streak/official-rules
Is there a limit to how many Prizes a user can win in a season?
Yes, the following limits apply to MLB Play’s prize contest: In any single calendar year, an eligible contestant (a) cannot win the same exact Prize more than once (for example, may receive a $5 MLB Shop gift code only once) and (b) cannot win Prizes that exceed $599 in aggregate value.
Can I still earn virtual Reward Packs?
Yes! Virtual Reward Packs will still be available.
Can I trade my Prizes in for different ones, or with other users?
No.
How do I win Prizes or earn virtual Reward Packs in MLB Play?
Prizes are won by completing certain achievements, like getting the “Bingo” badge. For a complete list of relevant achievements and their associated Prizes, see the MLB Play Prizes page. Reward Packs are earned by accruing Tokens. As you play MLB Play’s various games, you’ll accrue Tokens. Accrue enough Tokens and you’ll automatically earn a Reward Pack.
MLB Play
What is MLB Play?
MLB Play is our destination for all free-to-play predictive and trivia games for MLB. You can play these great games for FREE using your MLB.com account. MLB Play is accessible on MLB.com/play and for download via the App Store and Google Play.
What is XP for? How do I earn it?
XP stands for “experience points”, which are earned by playing games in MLB Play. You earn XP every time you play a game, no matter how well you did. Earn enough XP and you’ll automatically be rewarded with virtual trophies. You’ll be able to see all of your trophies in your Profile.
What are Tokens for? How do I earn it?
Tokens are given when you do well in an MLB Play game. For example, get an answer right in By the Numbers or Bingo, and you’ll earn some tokens! Accrue enough Tokens and you’ll automatically earn a Reward Pack with virtual collectibles to customize your MLB Play Profile.
What virtual Reward Packs can I get with Tokens?
Tokens unlock virtual Reward Packs that contain some of the hundreds of avatars and wallpapers we’ve created to help you express your unique baseball fan identity. Look out for Rare, Epic, and even Legendary rewards! These special items are found less frequently in virtual Reward Packs than Common items.
What does the Lock icon on MLB Play game cards mean?
MLB Play game cards show as “locked” when the deadline to make or change MLB Play answers has passed. You can still visit these locked MLB Play game cards to see your results or make picks for the future (depending on the game).
How do I add a friend?
The easiest way to add a friend is to create a unique link with our “Invite Friends” feature in the Profile. Send an invite to any friend and they’ll automatically add you (and vice versa) when they click on the invite link. Alternatively, go to your Profile page, click on the gear icon to enter Settings, then click “Your Friend Code” to share your six-character code with others or enter another fan’s code to add them yourself.
How much does it cost to play a game in MLB Play?
Nothing! All of our games are free to play. And there are no in-app purchases or microtransactions. All you need is a free MLB.com account.
Beat the Streak Presented by BetMGM
What is Beat the Streak?
Beat the Streak is a free-to-play contest where fans predict an MLB player to get a hit. If fans build a streak of 57 correct picks (beating baseball’s famous 56-game hitting streak), they could win $5.6 Million. You must be 21 or older to participate in Beat the Streak. See Beat the Streak’s Official Rules here.
What is the deadline to submit my Beat the Streak batter pick?
Picks must be in five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the MLB game in which the pick is scheduled to appear. For example, if an MLB game is scheduled for 1:05 pm ET on 5/1/2023, picks for any of the players in that game must be in by 1:00pm ET on 5/1/2023. Once the deadline passes, we consider your picks “locked” in.
If I pick two batters for the same day using Double Down, but only one batter gets a hit, what happens?
It depends on the outcome of your other pick. See the “Double Down Feature” section of Beat the Streak’s Official Rules for the possible outcomes.
I picked two batters in a Double Down and only one has started his game; can I change the other?
No, you cannot change your Double Down after the earlier of the picks has locked. See the Official Rules for more detail.
What does “Pass” mean?
Beat the Streak allows you to keep your Streak at its then-current level (rather than break and revert to zero) under certain limited conditions that we call a Pass. One example is if the batter you picked never entered the game. See the “Scoring” section of the Official Rules for details on all Pass scenarios.
What is the “% chance to hit” feature about?
We provide hit probability estimates from our unique prediction model. These numbers aren’t guarantees, of course. Use your own judgment to make your best prediction!
What is a Streak Saver and how do I get one?
Streak Saver is a special, one-time way for your Streak to continue when it would have otherwise ended. When your Streak is at least 10 and no more than 15, if your pick fails to hit (or Pass), Streak Saver will “save” your Streak and keep it at its then current number. Streak Saver is automatically available for all fans. No action required! But Streak Saver will only make such a save once during the entire season. After Streak Saver saves your Streak, it is no longer available and will not save your future Streaks. See the Official Rules for more detail.
Why can’t I see picks that my friends have made?
Picks made by your friends are not visible to you until your own picks lock.
What do the different leaderboards for Beat the Streak show?
We’ve added more ways to see how you stack up against friends and other fans. Choose Friends then Current Streak, All Season, and All Time to see your place against your friends for active Streaks, best Streak this year, and if you or any of your friends are in the Top 100 Streaks of all time. Choose All and then one of those tabs to see the same views, but against every fan in Beat the Streak.
Pickle
What is Pickle?
Pickle is a free-to-play game where fans identify a mystery MLB player. Fans may submit up to nine answers before the game is over. A new game with a different player is available every day.
What clues are available to help me identify the mystery player?
If you choose the wrong player, Pickle will help guide you towards the correct answer with a few helpful hints.
- Yellow in the league/division column indicates that the player plays in either the revealed league or division.
- Yellow in the age column indicates 2 years within the player's actual age.
- Yellow in the position column indicates the player can play this position, but it's not his primary position.
- Green in any column indicates a match!
Players that you search for after your first attempt will show yellow or green if they match any of the categories that you’ve already revealed.
By the Numbers
What is By the Numbers?
By the Numbers is a free-to-play game where fans are given a player’s stat for a specific category and answer whether other players’ stats are higher or lower for that category. For example, if the day’s category is home runs: one player’s home run stat is presented and then, as other player are revealed, fans answer whether each revealed player has more or less home runs than the player first shown. The game lasts until you get three incorrect answers, in which case – strike three and you’re out!
How much time do I have to submit my answer?
When the game begins, you will have 10 seconds to submit your first answer. As the game goes on, the time to answer accelerates, so watch the countdown timer as you get further into the game!
How often can I play By the Numbers?
You can play By the Numbers once per day. The mystery stat category resets daily, so come back each day!
Bingo
What is Bingo?
Bingo brings the classic game to the big leagues! You’ll get a Bingo-style board filled with things that could happen on the field for the MLB game you’re tuned into. If you predict the board’s events are likely, keep the board (and tiles) and play! If you predict the board’s events are not likely, trade it in for a different board (or swap tiles). Then it’s your job to follow along live as your tiles activate when the relevant action takes place. When you see potential “Bingo” achievements on the board (more on that below), make sure to claim it fast! Participants who claim their Bingo achievement first may win a Prize.
What Bingos can I win?
There are three ‘levels’ of Bingo for you to achieve: single Bingo is any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal straight line of five activated tiles; diamond Bingo is when your tiles activate in the shape of a baseball diamond; and blackout Bingo is when all of your board’s tiles are activated.
How do I claim Bingo?
When you’ve achieved one of the three types of Bingo, there will be a button available for you to Claim Bingo! Make your claim fast as you’re competing with others to either be a winner or a runner-up.
I missed the start of the game - can I still play?
Yes, with a caveat! You’re able to play Bingo so long as the relevant MLB game is still live. However, you cannot change your Board or tiles.
I don't like the board I was given - can I pick my tiles?
So long as you do so before the start of the relevant MLB game, you’re able to exchange your board or “Lock & Swap” your tiles a limited number of times.