Your weekly guide to the best bobbleheads, giveaways, and promotions across MLB and MiLB — plus which series are worth watching.
Coverage Window: Friday, August 28 – Thursday, September 3, 2026
🇺🇸 Labor Day weekend starts the day after this window closes. Our full Labor Day guide covers all 15 bobbleheads, 82 fireworks shows, and five sports leagues over the four-day holiday.
🔥 Notable Series This Week
Marlins @ Nationals · August 28–30 · Washington, DC James Wood gets his bobblehead Saturday in DC, the centerpiece giveaway for the future face of the Nationals. With the Nats positioning around their young core and a divisional opponent in town, this is the loudest Nationals Park has been on a giveaway night since June.
Astros @ Mets · August 29 – September 1 · Queens The Mets close the homestand with an Astros series and the Mr. Met Light-Up Bobblehead on Sunday — a glow-in-the-dark variant of one of the longest-running mascot designs in the league. Citi Field with the Astros in town in late August is always a draw, and the giveaway raises the floor.
🏆 Top MLB Giveaways
| Date | Team | Giveaway | City | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 8/28 | Angels | Zach Neto Bobblehead | Anaheim, CA | Bobblehead |
| Fri 8/28 | Athletics | Mark Kotsay Bobblehead | Sacramento, CA | Bobblehead |
| Sat 8/29 | Blue Jays | Buck Martinez Legacy Bobblehead | Toronto, ON | Bobblehead |
| Sat 8/29 | Nationals | James Wood Bobblehead | Washington, DC | Bobblehead |
| Sun 8/30 | Cubs | Harry Caray Bobblehead | Chicago, IL | Bobblehead |
| Sun 8/30 | Giants | Jung Hoo Lee Bobblehead | San Francisco, CA | Bobblehead |
| Sun 8/30 | Mets | Mr. Met at the Unisphere Light-Up Bobblehead | Queens, NY | Bobblehead |
| Sat 8/29 | Giants | Hall of Fame Celebration: Jeff Kent Number Retirement | San Francisco, CA | Event |
| Sat 8/29 | Guardians | Bob Feller 1936 Jersey Giveaway | Cleveland, OH | Jersey |
| Sun 8/30 | Angels | Jo Adell Football Jersey | Anaheim, CA | Jersey |
The Buck Martinez + Harry Caray weekend double is the broadcasting story of the year. Two legacy voices, two iconic franchises, two consecutive days. Martinez called Blue Jays games for over two decades. Caray was Cubs baseball for an entire generation. For collectors who track broadcasters as a category, this is a peak weekend.
The Mr. Met Light-Up Bobblehead is the format play of the week. Light-up bobbleheads remain rare — most teams stick with the standard head-on-spring — and Mr. Met at the Unisphere (the World's Fair globe that's been Queens' visual identity since 1964) hits the design notes a Mets fan would want immortalized.
James Wood at the Nats is the franchise-future play. Wood is the centerpiece of the next Nationals contention window; his rookie bobble has long-term shelf weight.
🎆 Best Fireworks Nights
Friday August 28 is one of the densest fireworks Fridays of the year — 47 shows across MLB and MiLB, with five MLB games involved. The Labor Day fireworks slate (47+ MLB and MiLB shows on Friday September 4 alone) is the bigger story coming the next week.
| Date | Team | City | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 8/28 | Braves | Atlanta, GA | Friday Night Fireworks |
| Fri 8/28 | Guardians | Cleveland, OH | Phantom Fireworks |
| Fri 8/28 | Mets | Queens, NY | Fireworks Night |
| Fri 8/28 | Tigers | Detroit, MI | Friday Night Fireworks |
| Fri 8/28 | Twins | Minneapolis, MN | Postgame Fireworks |
| Sat 8/29 | Angels | Anaheim, CA | Saturday Night Fireworks |
⚾ MiLB Spotlight
The last MiLB Saturday before Labor Day is one of the most stacked of the season — 14 MiLB bobbleheads between August 28 and September 3, with seven on Saturday August 29 alone.
| Date | Team | Giveaway | City | Why It's Worth It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 8/28 | AquaSox | Cal Raleigh Bobblehead | Everett, WA | All-Star Mariners catcher at his old short-season home |
| Fri 8/28 | Shorebirds | Manny Machado Bobblehead | Salisbury, MD | Padres superstar at his old Single-A — Orioles drafted him here |
| Fri 8/28 | Bats | Pat Kelsey Bobblehead | Louisville, KY | The Louisville men's basketball coach — local cross-sport tribute |
| Fri 8/28 | Howlers | Luchador Bobble Belly Giveaway | Lynchburg, VA | Body-part bobble variant — "belly" not "head" |
| Fri 8/28 | RockHounds | Nick Kurtz Bobblehead | Midland, TX | A's top hitting prospect at Double-A |
| Sat 8/29 | Fisher Cats | Coconut Tenders Bobblehead (500) | Manchester, NH | The chicken tenders trilogy bonus piece — capped at 500 |
| Sat 8/29 | Indians | WWE Bobblehead Giveaway | Indianapolis, IN | Wrestling crossover, no further detail required |
| Sat 8/29 | Express | Vince Young Bobblehead | Round Rock, TX | Longhorns legend in Round Rock — Texas crossover |
| Sat 8/29 | Saints | Ron & Toby Gardenhire Double Bobblehead (1,500) | St. Paul, MN | Father-and-son managers — Minnesota Twins Day pairing |
| Sat 8/29 | Naturals | Carter Jensen Bobblehead | Springdale, AR | Royals catching prospect at Double-A |
| Sat 8/29 | Ports | Nick Kurtz Bobblehead | Stockton, CA | Same player as RockHounds Friday, different affiliate |
| Sat 8/29 | River Bandits | Jac Caglianone Bobblehead | Davenport, IA | Royals power prospect — back at A-ball |
| Sat 8/29 | Timber Rattlers | Bratoberfest Flying Brat Bobblehead | Appleton, WI | A bratwurst with wings — Bratoberfest theme |
The Manny Machado at the Shorebirds is the headline pull. Salisbury, MD is where Machado played his first full pro season after being drafted by the Orioles — getting his bobblehead at his old A-ball home is the kind of tribute MiLB does better than anyone.
The Ron & Toby Gardenhire Double Bobblehead in St. Paul is the family-tribute deep cut. Ron managed the Twins for 13 seasons; Toby is currently the Saints' manager. Father-son managers in one bobble piece, capped at 1,500, on Twins Day at Triple-A.
The Coconut Tenders Bobblehead completes the trilogy that started with the Original Tenders in July and the Buffalo Tenders earlier in the summer. Manchester has built one of the best cult bobblehead programs in MiLB.
📍 The Bobblehead Road Trip
The Broadcasting Weekend: Buck Martinez Saturday in Toronto, Harry Caray Sunday in Chicago
| Date | Team | Bobblehead | Location | Distance from Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 8/29 | Blue Jays | Buck Martinez Legacy | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON | — |
| Sun 8/30 | Cubs | Harry Caray | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL | ~520 mi / ~9 hrs |
The drive is too long for a doable weekend turnaround without flying. The play: Toronto Saturday, flight to Chicago Sunday morning, Wrigley Field Sunday afternoon. ~90-minute flight, two of the most iconic ballparks in the sport, both broadcasting legends in plastic. The kind of weekend you tell your friends about.
🎯 Don't Sleep On...
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Athletics (Fri 8/28): Mark Kotsay Bobblehead. The current A's manager getting his bobble in a transitional Sacramento year. A piece of franchise-identity history for a team in flux.
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Angels (Fri 8/28): Zach Neto Bobblehead. Angels' young shortstop locked in as a long-term piece. Friday night in Anaheim with no major MLB competition nearby.
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Giants (Sun 8/30): Jung Hoo Lee Bobblehead. Jeff Kent's number retirement happens the day before — Jung Hoo Sunday closes the homestand. Oracle Park late August weather is some of the best in the league.
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Shorebirds (Fri 8/28): Manny Machado Bobblehead. Single-A pickup of an active superstar at his draft-class affiliate. The kind of MiLB bobble that gets harder to find every year.
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Fisher Cats (Sat 8/29): Coconut Tenders Bobblehead (500). The Tenders trilogy bonus piece. If you collected the Original and Buffalo earlier this summer, this completes the set — but the 500-unit cap means arrive early.
Last roundup before Labor Day weekend. The holiday guide drops Tuesday with the full Sept 4–7 breakdown.