MLB Players, OneTeam, Acky Bright and Viz Media Launch Manga Sci-Fi Series ‘GalaXic Baseball League’ (EXCLUSIVE)

MLB Players, Inc., OneTeam Partners, Viz Media, and manga artist Acky Bright have announced the launch of GalaXic Baseball League, a science-fiction manga series featuring real, active Major League Baseball players.

The series is described by its partners as the first original manga intellectual property to incorporate active professional baseball players. The production utilizes the officially licensed names, images, and likenesses of current MLB stars through an arrangement with OneTeam Partners and MLB Players, Inc.

Digital chapters of the series are scheduled to debut on July 2, 2026, via the Viz Manga app in Canada and the United States. A print volume is expected to follow in October 2026.

Featured Players and Licensing

The manga incorporates a variety of high-profile athletes from across the league. The roster of depicted players includes Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Of the New York Yankees, as well as Juan Soto of the New York Mets.

Other athletes featured in the series include:

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Fernando Tatis Jr. Of the San Diego Padres
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Of the Toronto Blue Jays
• Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies
• Jung Hoo Lee of the San Francisco Giants
• Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers

The inclusion of these players is facilitated by the licensing agreements between the league’s player representatives and the creative partners.

Creative Direction and Artistic Style

The story and artwork for GalaXic Baseball League were created by Acky Bright, who operates through his New York-based creative firm, BW NYC Studios, Inc.

Bright utilizes a signature aesthetic known as kawa-kakkoii, a Japanese phrase that blends the concepts of cool and cute. This style defines the series’ bold black-and-white visual approach.

Bright brings a background of high-profile global collaborations to the project. His previous credits include collaborations with Marvel and DC Comics, as well as the 2024 global packaging rollout for McDonald’s WcDonald's. That project marked the first time a single artist was responsible for designing the iconic packaging across more than 30 territories.

The partnership between Viz Media, OneTeam Partners, and MLB Players, Inc. Aims to merge professional sports with the science-fiction manga genre to reach new audiences through both digital and physical publishing formats.