It began like any other morning, scroll—coffee in hand and timeline buzzing. However, somewhere between trade rumors and highlight reels, a specific video began to make the rounds. The kind that makes you stop, squint, and ask – ‘Wait… is that what I think it is?’ What came after was a scene so bizarre and so funny that baseball had a field day. Bryce Harper identified himself face to face with a legendary creature—not on the field, but in a promotional crossover and we can say… the internet had thoughts.
So what really happened? On May 30, MLB dropped a new promo featuring the Phillies star swinging his bat in a batting cage. However, Harper was not alone. Right there next to him was Toothless. He is the beloved dragon from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. The idea? Blend MLB and blockbuster animation to promote the upcoming ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ movie reboot hitting theaters in 2025. A slugger and a fan-favorite dragon look like marketing gold.
It did not take long for fans to begin to fire off jokes. Baseball rarely dives into such crossover, but the fans—while brutal—were clearly entertained on this occasion. Some applauded Harper for playing along, knowing fully well that the promo was campy by design. It was meme-worthy, to say the least.
And with the whirlwind of memes, it was clear the promo had done something right— if it was not exactly what MLB originally intended. Fans were not just reacting; they were establishing punchlines, turning Harper’s dragon-filled adventure into an instant internet classic.
MLB fans turn into comedians as Harper promo goes viral
One Philies fan said, “I see the budget was very low for this commercial.” This one pretty much established the tone. And to be honest—it was not far from the truth. From the awkward ball flying in the air and the dragon-faced glove to catch the ball, the visuals screamed budget cuts.
Another fan said, “Looks like this was filmed in the early 90s.” Ah, yes, the feeling of full roast. With animation highlighting of old-school video games, this fan reaction nailed what multiple others were thinking. It had Space Jam vibes, however, without the charm of hand-drawn Looney Tunes.
Bryce Harper has starred in Nike and Gatorade campaigns before and but looked oddly out of place in this one. MLB’s aim was to attract a younger and technology-savvy consumer, but this felt like throwing it back a little too far.
“Bryce Harper in a live action HTTYD trailer before he wins a ring.” Now this fan’s reaction is funny. Harper is still hunting that elusive World Series title and fans are not going to forget it. This season, Rob Thomson’s team is 36–20 and it is not a winning situation. So while Harper’s swinging in promos, fans are swinging in reminders: cool dragons are fine, however, rings matter more.
Then another fan said, “Toothless would look nice in pinstripes.” Yankees fans never miss a scope. This cheeky joke about Toothless joining the Yankees, which, while totally absurd, got traction fast. Considering Harper was once courted by the Yankees before signing with Philly, the review was part jest, part wishful thinking.
As per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Harper had a serious interest in joining the Yankees. His father had childhood memories of New York and Harper wore No. 34 with the Washington Nationals to honor Mickey Mantle. Mantle’s jersey no. was 7 and 34 add up to 7. With the team always in the spotlight for big moves, the idea of Toothless patrolling the base in pinstripes kind of fits the chaos. And hey, if Judge is cool with crossovers, who is to say a dragon is not next?
“.267 batting average with 8 home runs.” This was a reminder from a fan that behind all the commercials and crossovers, Harper still has a job to do. As of late May 2025, he’s hitting .267 with 8 home runs—solid, but not quite MVP-tier yet. Sure, Toothless is fun, but the fans want fireworks on the field.
With the Phillies locked in a tight NL East race, every swing counts. And if Harper’s going to be the face of the franchise and the fantasy world, he’ll need to match the hype with stats.
From pixelated dragons to pinstriped dreams, Bryce Harper’s promo stirred laughs, roasts and some eyeballs. Whether the fans mocked it or meme’d it, the bottomline was they responded to it and in the current game, that is a win.
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