OYO-MLB-01

Background

Late October/early November means the end of the Major League Baseball season. This year, if you’re not a San Francisco Giants fan, you’re in good company with fans of the 29 other teams that can wallow in a winter of disappointement. While most baseball fans will be pining for next season, toy collectors will be glad to know that there’s an officially licensed MLB block figure line from OYO Sports.

In addition to players from all 30 Major League Baseball teams, OYO produces their mini figures based on MLB team mascots, MLB Hall of Fame players, Minor League Baseball players and MiLB mascots, and Little League Baseball version of MLB players. There are also various team themed sets available for all of the MLB teams. They include a Starter Set, Infield Set, Outfield Set, and Game Time Set.

OYO-MLB-02

The Facts



MLB Generation 3 OYO Minifigures
Series: Major League Baseball Generation 3 Series 5
Manufacturer: OYO Sports
Material: ABS plastic
Dimensions: 3" tall
Points of Articulation: 11 (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, legs, and knees)
Designs: Players from all 30 MLB teams
Accessories: Brown Bat; White Ball; Brown Glove; Primary Hat; Alternate Hat; Numbered White Home Plate Stand
Edition Size: Limited Edition
Pricing: $12.99 each

Packaging

The figures are packaged in a small, rectangular, plastic-wrapped box. There’s a small window area where you can see the OYO figure. That figure is in a tray, with separate trays for the accessories and the stand. Outside, the packaging sleeve features illustrations (one close-up and one action) of the figure on the front and back. You’ll also see the team’s logo and the back of the player’s jersey.

OYO-MLB-09

Our Opinion

For this review, OYO Sports sent along two MLB figures: Cliff Lee and Carlos Ruiz. It might have had something to do with me mentioning that I’m a Philadelphia Phillies fan. Yes…I’m one of those fans that hasn’t had much to cheer about since around last May.

Both OYO figures feature the Phillies pinstripe home jersey. In addition to the regular red Phillies hat, the figures include the blue hat that goes along with their third jersey. Every figure, no matter what team, includes a second hat. It’s interesting in the case of a team such as the Yankees. Since they’ve basically had the same hat color and design for decades, OYO went with the inverse color scheme.

OYO-MLB-13Also included with each figure are a bat, ball, and glove. They’re all standard designs. There’s also a home plate base (base as in stand) that allows you to display the figure in any number of poses. That plate is adorned with a unique OYO DNA number, which lets you identify the toy.

While the OYO figures are compatible with your other major building block toy lines, I noticed they have four more points of articulation than a LEGO figure. Those points are at the elbows and knees, and they are what allow you to pose the MLB OYO figures like they’re catching, pitching, or hitting.

OYO-MLB-17Also, there’s the player likeness. It sort of reminds me of a 90’s videogame, where you can choose the skin tone and facial hair (and color) of your create-a-player. It works for most players, especially those with a distinctive facial hair pattern (such as Jeff Samardzija or David Ortiz). It appears that those facial features and all of the jersey details have been applied via tampo (or a similar process).

OYO-MLB-07And I think it’s because of this that OYO is oftentimes able to add new players to teams as the season progresses. So if there’s a rookie tearing things up or a major player trade, they’re able to react to that to release a new figure fairly quickly.

OYO-MLB-08Those individual figures run $12.99 each. It could get a little expensive (just under $117) if you’re looking to assemble your favorite starting nine. Also, there are also several sets – Game Time, Infield, Outfield, and Starter. These feature generic team players and pieces that make up various areas of the ballpark.

You can pick these up at the following:

OYO Sports: $12.99 each

OYO-MLB-Grades

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This