Deema Zein:

Banana ball’s popularity has grown exponentially in the past few years, racking up more than 30 million followers on social media and outpacing some Major League Baseball teams. And with a growing social media presence came an expanding Banana Ball League that welcomed the Party Animals and, in 2024, the Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters, with more teams on the horizon, according to Cole.

When the Bananas and Firefighters went head to head in Washington, D.C., recently, the excitement was palpable.