Tommy Lasorda Baseball was part of a marketing campaign to build a library of titles using recognizable names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes to emphasize the arcade experience available on Sega Genesis.

Pitchers are rated based on earned run average (ERA), stamina, curve-throwing ability, top throwing speed, and the distance a hit pitch will travel.

[12][9] Sega signed former MLB player Tommy Lasorda, who was manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time, to endorse the game as part of a marketing campaign to build a library of titles using recognizable names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes emphasizing the arcade experience available on the Genesis.

[17] Aktueller Software Markt's Torsten Blum gave the game a mixed outlook, noting the difficult AI and stating both visual design and sprite animations ranged from mediocre to good, but commended its realism and sound.

[19][28] Tilt's Alain Huyghues-Lacour noted the game may turn off novice players due to its difficulty, but commented that the graphical quality is stimulating.

[24][30] Play Time's Oliver Menne felt that the title's visuals left little to be desired and criticized the character animations, but was fascinated by the clear voice samples and commended its gameplay, recommending it to baseball fans and people interested in the sport.

[21] Jiří Frkal of Czech magazine Score gave positive remarks to the graphics and smooth character animations, while commenting that both music and sound complemented its atmosphere.