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Blue Jays Outfielder Anthony Santander Faces Backlash Over Political Posts

4 sources · updated 2026-11-07
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0 left · 0 center · 4 right

What happened

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander shared two videos on his Instagram story after Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's U.S. Senate race in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Captions and clips included claims that America voted for Sharia and that Islam is not peaceful; Santander later deleted the posts. The Blue Jays issued a statement that baseball is for everyone, that the team has created an inclusive ballpark experience, and that individual comments do not represent the organization's values and beliefs; no discipline was announced. First reported by The Athletic on 2026-11-06. Credited as the origin by 1 outlet on this story (right-leaning: Breitbart). First on-record source: Blue Jays spokesperson (New York Post, 2026-11-06).
Sourcing check · Fully on the record · 4 articles

3 of 3 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.

What these terms mean and how they're counted
On the record · names a source 3 of 3
On the record means the article cites a source by name for the story's main claim: a person, or an institution speaking officially, such as a company statement or a named agency's spokesperson. The opposite is an unnamed source. The count is how many of the counted articles cite at least one such source; the names are everyone named across them, each once however the articles spell it. Here: Blue Jays spokesperson, Toronto Blue Jays and Government Accountability Institute
Primary evidence · cites a document or data 0 of 3
Primary evidence means the article cites a record you could check yourself: a court filing or ruling, a dataset or report, a recording or transcript, an official statement or press release, market data. A quote is not a document. The count is how many articles cite one. Here: None cited.
Credits another outlet 1 of 3
The article says the story comes from another outlet's reporting (“first reported by Reuters”). Those articles relay the story; they are not independent confirmation. Here: The Athletic
Unnamed sources 0 of 3
The main claim is attributed to people who are not identified: “people familiar with the matter”, “officials said”. The count is how many articles do this.
How it developed
When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Nov 6, 04:30 UTC by New York Post, naming its source.
Not counted 1
Opinion, analysis and video pieces, and articles too short to assess. Every count above is out of the counted articles. An article republished under a new headline is one article.
This is about who is cited, not whether the story is true. Each source below says what it names. How we count
BLINDSPOT. Only right-leaning outlets are covering this story — the other side's media is silent.
Omitted — what each side leaves out

Unpacked

Left-leaning coverage has not reported the story. Right-leaning coverage says Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander shared two Instagram videos after Michigan elected Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to the Senate, then deleted them once the club said individual comments do not represent its values. The club issued no apology and no discipline, according to Fox News. A reader of the silent side never learns a star player was rebuked for the posts or that the franchise stopped at a public distancing statement. Fox News opens on unwritten sports rules and Santander's years watching Venezuela unravel. The New York Post opens on an attack on El-Sayed's faith and Santander's failed tenure in Toronto. Did Santander offer any explanation of his own after the posts came down?
Bottom line

Left-leaning news has not covered Santander's posts at all, so those readers would miss Fox News reporting that the Blue Jays issued no discipline after he claimed America voted for Sharia.

The receipts — 4 facts one side's coverage lacks
  • The Blue Jays issued no apology on Santander's behalf and handed down no discipline contextin Fox News · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Santander's posts were captioned "America voted for Sharia Last Night" and "Islam is not peaceful" individual casein New York Post, Breitbart · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • One clip featured a preacher claiming Islam is driven by war and that there is no such thing as kind Muslims individual casein Fox News · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • The Blue Jays released reliever Anthony Bass two weeks after a 2023 post supporting anti-LGBTQ boycotts contextin New York Post · absent from left-leaning coverage
The Right View
Fox News, the New York Post, and Breitbart report that Santander faced immediate backlash for the deleted Instagram stories criticizing El-Sayed's election and Islam, and that the Blue Jays distanced the club from his comments without an apology or announced punishment. They describe El-Sayed as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, note Santander's Venezuelan background and a five-year, $92.5 million contract limited by injuries (54 games, missed 2026 after shoulder surgery), and compare the episode to Toronto's 2023 release of reliever Anthony Bass after an anti-LGBTQ post, which the team called a baseball decision. Coverage frames questioning a new senator's views as legitimate, cites alleged selective outrage, and adds further claims about El-Sayed including socialist positions, Gaza comments, a reported 2022 Colombia trip, and disputed Muslim Brotherhood-related allegations.
Our Take (balanced)
The core episode is substantive: a named MLB player, specific social-media posts that were captured before deletion, and an on-record Blue Jays statement. Established facts are that Santander posted and then removed the clips and that the club publicly separated its values from his comments without announced discipline. Descriptions of the videos' full content, El-Sayed's record, overseas meetings, and organizational comparisons remain as reported by the covering outlets and are not independently documented here. No left-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for a statement from Santander, any further Blue Jays or MLB action, primary copies of the videos, and on-record comment from El-Sayed or the team beyond the existing spokesperson line.

4 sources

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