Starting Lineup returns! | Source: Hasbro/Fanatics

One of the most legendary lines of sports action figures is emerging from the dugout for a reboot.

Hasbro, in partnership with Fanatics, is relaunching Starting Lineup, a Kenner legacy brand that initially ran from 1988 to 2001. The original brand featured 3.75-inch scale posed action figures of real-life players from Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Related: Hasbro Unveils Thor: Love and Thunder Marvel Legends Series Action Figure Collection

While most of the original series focused on current athletes of the era, later sets included matchups and sports icons in addition to famous athletes from boxing, gymnastics, and more.

“The fast-growing sports collectibles category presents great opportunities to connect with fans of all ages, and we’ve got many exciting announcements to come from the brand in the months ahead,” says Hasbro President and COO Eric Nyman

The relaunched Starting Lineup brand will be offered for sale via Hasbro Pulse in addition to Fanatics’ network of official league stores and its own Fanatics.com.

In recent months, Fanatics has made huge strides in expanding its efforts into the sports collectibles range. The company recently acquired The Topps Co. and has begun issuing trading cards under its Fanatics Collectibles banner.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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