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The Philadelphia Phillies welcomed a new off-the-field teammate this week—and he's already winning over the fanbase. On Tuesday, the club officially introduced Tugger the dog, a 10-week-old yellow labrador retriever and Phillies service dog in training, as part of their continued partnership with Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection. Tugger’s journey has a larger mission, to become a fully trained service dog for a veteran living with a disability.
Then on Wednesday, one day after his official announcement, Tugger stole hearts at Citizens Bank Park with a series of viral, wholesome moments ahead of the third and final game of the Phillies' series against the San Diego Padres.
Cradled in the arms of reliever Orion Kerkering, Tugger promptly began to doze off—melting the hearts of Phillies fans both in the stadium and online. Grace Del Pizzo of @OnPattison shared the heartwarming clip on X (formerly Twitter), captioning the moment as she caught the young puppy drifting off.
“Tugger is just a sleepy guy.”
Tugger is just a sleepy guy.@OnPattison pic.twitter.com/iA9gUxHq9L
— Grace Del Pizzo (@GraceDelPizzo) July 2, 2025
The adorable moment quickly spread across social media and was soon picked up by MLB’s official account, which shared an image of Tugger playfully biting on the Phanatic’s iconic green snout.
is for eating pic.twitter.com/NASLcz8Ybd
— MLB (@MLB) July 2, 2025
The team followed up by introducing Tugger through a playful baseball card-style flier, featuring fun facts like his birthdate (April 24, 2025), favorite food (cheesesteaks), and favorite activity—playing with the Phanatic.
“Bestest boy in baseball,” the post read.
Tugger’s name honors legendary Phillies closer and U.S. Marine Corps reservist Tug McGraw. He is the second service pup introduced by the team as part of this veteran-focused initiative, following the successful training and placement of their first pup, Major.
While the club remains focused on securing a series win against the Padres, Tugger quietly became the unexpected star of the day. With Tuesday’s victory already in the books and the series finale underway, fans have quickly taken to the young pup—some even calling him a potential good luck charm. As of the seventh inning, the Phillies hold a 4-1 lead and looked poised to take the series at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia currently sits atop the NL East, holding a two-game lead over the second-place New York Mets, who have stumbled recently after a red-hot start to the season. The Miami Marlins trail by 10.5 games in third, while the Atlanta Braves, sitting at 38-46, find themselves 11 games back and a half-game behind Miami. With the calendar now turning to July, the baseball world is approaching its midseason flashpoints—the MLB Draft and the All-Star break. As anticipation builds across the league, the Phillies not only remain contenders on the field but continue to shine off it, thanks to Tugger’s heartwarming debut.
