Photo by Frederick Dennstedt 

By Shelby Tuttle

As the 2026 Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues prepare to swing into action, a different kind of heat is rising off the diamond. Climate activists are once again gearing up for a campaign to sever the ties between Major League Baseball and the fossil fuel industry.

Phillips 66 and the Dodgers

The epicenter of the movement is in Los Angeles. The group Dodger Fans Against Fossil Fuels is centering its efforts on the reigning champions, demanding the team end its high-profile partnership with Phillips 66. Critics label these deals as “sportswashing” — a marketing strategy where energy companies leverage the emotional loyalty of sports fans to burnish their corporate image and distract from environmental concerns.

Supported by groups like the Sierra Club, Dodger Fans Against Fossil Fuels has been active since 2024, launching petitions, organizing rallies at games, and even penning an open letter to Dodgers owner Mark Walter, urging him to drop Phillips 66 to align with Los Angeles’s sustainability goals.

A Movement Across Sports

But the pushback isn’t limited to the Dodgers or even MLB teams. On February 17, coordinated demonstrations are planned for 11 venues across the country, targeting teams with direct sponsors involved in the oil and gas industry, and franchises aligned with banks that provide heavy financing for fossil fuel expansion. The list of planned protests includes:

• St. Louis, Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals (Phillips 66)
• Houston, Shell Energy Stadium, Houston Dynamo FC (Shell)
• Austin, Q2 Stadium, Austin FC (Chevron)
• New York City, Citi Field, Mets (Citibank)
• Sacramento, Golden 1 Center, Sacramento Kings (AM/PM, owned by BP)
• Boston, TD Garden, Boston Celtics (Gulf Oil)
• Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, World Cup (Aramco)
• Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Eagles (NRG)
• Portland, Providence Park, Portland Timbers (Bank of America)
• Cleveland, Progressive Field, Cleveland Guardians (Marathon)
• Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers (Phillips 66/76 gas)

To register for one of the events above, click here. To view and sign the original petition created by Dodger Fans Against Fossil Fuels, click here.