Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena became the first holder of the 2026 Bat Flip Championship Belt after winning the season's inaugural showdown against San Diego Padres slugger Gavin Sheets at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Arozarena's bat flip was judged superior to that of Sheets, giving the Mariners player the right to carry the belt until a new challenger unseats him.

The Bat Flip Championship Belt is a season-long competition that will crown a bat flip champion for the 2026 baseball season. The initial holder was determined by the first showdown of the year. From this point forward, any player can challenge the current belt holder by performing a bat flip judged superior to the holder's. The player holding the belt at the end of the 2026 season will be named the year's bat flip champion.

In the matchup that decided the belt's first owner, both Arozarena and Sheets hit home runs. Arozarena launched his first home run of 2026 into the second deck in left field at T-Mobile Park, a ball that traveled 426 feet. His home run trot lasted 31.54 seconds, the fifth-longest of the season to that point.

Sheets answered with a home run of his own that traveled 434 feet — eight feet farther than Arozarena's shot. As he skipped toward first base, Sheets held the bat for a couple of seconds and then tossed it away with a one-handed sidearm motion.

Despite the longer distance on Sheets' home run, the bat flip competition went to Arozarena, who claimed the inaugural belt.