Mountain Dew Baja Blast Named Official MLB Soft Drink in Multi-Year Deal

PepsiCo has announced that Mountain Dew® Baja Blast® will become the Official Soft Drink of Major League Baseball (MLB) starting in 2026.

The multi-year agreement ends a six-year vacancy in the league’s carbonated soft drink category and represents the first time a non-cola beverage has served as MLB’s lead soda partner.

The partnership focuses on capturing MLB’s growing younger and multicultural audience. According to PepsiCo, the brand’s “tropical lime” profile aligns with Gen Z and Hispanic consumer demographics, which have seen double-digit growth in MLB viewership following recent rule changes that accelerated the pace of play.

Commenting on the partnership, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Beverages U.S., Mark Kirkham, said: “Mountain Dew Baja Blast brings the same electrifying energy to baseball that fans feel with every sip of our tropical citrus soda.”

“As the official soft drink sponsor of MLB, we’re excited to fuel fans’ passion for the game all season long,” Kirkham said.

Noting how the timing of the partnership is deliberate, MLB chief marketing officer, Uzma Rawn Dowler, added: “Game day is about energy, excitement, and being part of something bigger – and Mountain Dew gets that.”

Strategic Activation: ‘Get a Baja for a Blast’

The centrepiece of the deal is a nationwide loyalty program titled ‘Get a Baja for a Blast’. The initiative turns on-field performance into consumer rewards, specifically tying product giveaways to the game’s longest home runs. Fans can register at a dedicated digital hub to receive rewards when “blasts” reach specified distances or occur during “jewel” events like the All-Star Game and World Series.

Commercial and Cultural Context

The partnership was ceremonially launched on 19 February 2026, as executives from both organisations rang the Opening Bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite to signal the start of Spring Training.

The deal was negotiated by Genesco Sports Enterprises and signals a shift in MLB’s sponsorship strategy, moving away from traditional cola-centric marketing toward “lifestyle” beverages. With the 2025 World Series reaching a 34-year viewership high of 51 million viewers, the commercial value of MLB’s “jewel events” has hit a new peak.

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