MLB cautions against writing on Pride Night hats

Major League Baseball on Monday decried the use of personal writings on any team-issued Pride Night hats after members of the San Francisco Giants had Bible verses etched into their caps during Friday night's game against the Chicago Cubs. In a statement to multiple outlets, MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney said, "The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations." San Francisco's Landen Roupp, a 27-year-old right-hander from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, started and pitched 4⅔ innings with "Gen 9:12-16" on the front of his hat. Roupp spoke to reporters after the 5-1 loss about his decision, and he was adamant that "there's no hate at all. It's just what I stand for, and what I stand on: I believe in God." "It's just about God's covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy. That's just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that," he added. "And I'm thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want, and express what we want." JT Brubaker, a 32-year-old righty from Springfield, Ohio, and Ryan Walker, a 30-year-old righty from Arlington, Washington, made relief appearances in the loss with Bible verses on their hats. When asked how he'd explain to people who might be offended by his decision, Roupp added that "as a believer, I would push them to read the Bible. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I don't think I'd be here right now if it wasn't for him." In his first season as an MLB manager, San Francisco's Tony Vitello was asked about his pitchers' decisions after the loss, and he pointed to the "general knowledge of the individuals have the freedom to do what they think is best." It's important that everyone in our community has access to the support they need 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ — SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 13, 2026 Here's a thread of the #SFGiants preferred resources for LGBTQ+ people, families, and allies 🧵 pic.twitter.com/dMxww05y8v "But I do think it's been apparent from Day 1, actually, even some of the exhibition games, it's pretty impressive how the Giants, as an organization, try and embrace the entire community," he added. "We don't want to be divided, but you can divide it up into certain sections, if you know what I mean." Also in the loss, reliever Sam Hentges, a 29-year old lefty from Shoreview, Minnesota, took the mound without the Pride Night hat. He wore San Francisco's traditional black cap with orange lettering. The following day in San Francisco, he spoke to reporters about the decision. "It's just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don't morally support it. There wasn't hatred behind it. I think that's kind of something that's misinterpreted," he said. "I don't hate the LGBTQ community. It's just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it." San Francisco first added a Pride component to its uniforms in 2021. A day after the loss to the Cubs, the Giants issued a statement, reinforcing their commitment to Pride Nights. "The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. "We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization's commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration."