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MLB outfielder Anthony Santander faces backlash over Abdul El-Sayed video, Blue Jays respond
Developing story first seen 6 hours ago
The Toronto Blue Jays said Anthony Santander’s individual comments do not represent the organisation’s values after the outfielder faced criticism for sharing two political videos. Santander deleted both clips amid the backlash; the team said its ballpark welcomes all fans but did not announce discipline or apologise on his behalf.
One video featured a preacher making sweeping claims about Muslims, while the other questioned the relationship between Sharia principles and the US Constitution in connection with Michigan’s Senate race, won by Democrat Abdulrahim El-Sayed. Santander signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal before 2025, but injuries limited him to 54 games that year; he missed the 2026 season after left shoulder surgery and has three years and more than $57 million remaining on his contract.
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In short
- The Blue Jays said Santander’s comments do not represent the organisation.
- Santander deleted two videos after facing criticism.
- He missed the 2026 season following shoulder surgery.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander drew criticism after sharing two videos about Islam and the role of Sharia principles in US law.
- 1 hour ago The Toronto Blue Jays said Anthony Santander’s individual comments do not represent the organisation’s values after the outfielder faced criticism for sharing two political videos.
Full account
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander drew criticism after sharing two videos about Michigan’s election of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to the US Senate. The posts appeared on Santander’s Instagram story and were later deleted. One carried the caption “America voted for Sharia Last Night”; the other was titled “Islam is not peaceful”. The clips questioned Islam and the place of Sharia law in American public life.
El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in a closely contested race and is due to take office in January. He will be the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate. The posts were captured and circulated online before their removal, prompting criticism from Toronto supporters. The Blue Jays said in a statement that baseball is for everyone and that individual comments do not represent the organisation’s values or beliefs.
The reports frame the posts differently. One describes a video featuring a preacher making sweeping claims about Muslims, alongside a separate clip raising questions about Sharia and the US Constitution; the other focuses on the captions and characterises the posts as attacks on El-Sayed’s faith. The first also argues that scrutiny of a politician’s views on law is legitimate and suggests similar criticism of Christianity might have drawn less response. The second notes a precedent: Toronto released pitcher Anthony Bass in 2023 after he shared a post backing anti-LGBTQ boycotts, though the club said that decision was based on baseball.
Santander, 32, is in the second season of a five-year, $92.5 million contract, according to the reports. Both say he has played 54 games for Toronto. The Athletic’s account gives his batting line as .175/.271/.294, with six home runs and 18 runs batted in, and says he has been injured since the 2025 post-season. The other report says he missed the 2026 season after left shoulder surgery. Neither report says the Blue Jays announced discipline over the social media posts.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 presents the videos’ contents in more detail, including the preacher’s remarks and the separate discussion of Sharia and the Constitution; Source 2 highlights the captions and describes the posts as attacks on El-Sayed’s Muslim faith.
Source 1 argues that questions about a new senator’s legal views are legitimate and raises a comparison with criticism of Christianity. Source 2 instead emphasises fan backlash and the Blue Jays’ past release of Anthony Bass after a controversial post.
The accounts differ in their descriptions of Santander’s injury timeline: Source 1 says he missed all of 2026 after shoulder surgery, while Source 2 says he had been injured since the 2025 post-season. Source 2 also supplies his batting statistics.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Critics of Santander’s posts could argue that a public figure sharing a video built on sweeping claims about Muslims risks spreading prejudice and casting suspicion on a whole religious community. They may also see the club’s response as a reasonable effort to make clear that such content does not speak for its organisation.
The case against
A good-faith defence could argue that questioning how a politician’s views on Sharia relate to the Constitution is a legitimate matter of public debate, and that sharing the clips does not by itself establish hostility towards Muslims. From this perspective, backlash and the club’s public disavowal may discourage open discussion before the posts’ intent and context are fully considered.
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