• by Les Luchter , March 25, 2026

Last baseball season, AbbVie teamed with its hometown Chicago Cubs to launch a “Striking Out Cancer” campaign that supported nonprofits fighting the disease. 

This year, starting with opening day March 25, the campaign extends to all 30 Major League Baseball teams as the centerpiece of AbbVie’s new multiyear designation as MLB’s official pharmaceutical partner.

Over the course of the long baseball season, batters strike out a lot: 40,000 times on average. And, via “Striking Out Cancer,” AbbVie will donate $20 to the Stand Up To Cancer charity each time one does.

Why $20? AbbVie says that number reflects the 20% of people worldwide who will be diagnosed with cancer before age 75, per the World Health Organization's Global Cancer Observatory.

Based on the 40,000 strikeout averages, that would mean a total donation of some $800,000, But you never know when pitching will be particularly good -- or hitting particularly bad -- so AbbVie has placed a $1 million maximum on its donation.

The amount donated will also increase via what AbbVie calls “enhancements” around key MLB events, and special contributions on the occasions of perfect games or other no-hitters.

Some of the key MLB events where “Striking Out Cancer” will be visible include the Wild Card playoff series, which will be “presented by AbbVie,” along with the All-Star Game  -- and the return after four years of the MLB “Field of Dreams” game, played on the Iowa farm where the 1989 movie was shot.

AbbVie said the campaign will also be featured on such platforms as MLB Network. MLB.TV and Apple TV, and on MLB’s digital and social channels. One of the first offerings will be a :30 spot, already running on MLB.com, which positions “Striking Out Cancer” as a partnership between pitchers and Abbvie. “Major league pitchers are used to delivering when it matters most,” says a voiceover.

In addition to the baseball campaign, AbbVie is working to “strike out cancer” through numerous treatments in such realms as blood cancer, and via such drugs as  Venclexta and Imbruvica.