MLB Toronto Santander officially apologizes for writing Islamophobic posts

Anthony Santander (32), an American professional baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays outfielder who caused a stir by sharing an anti-Muslim post on social media, eventually bowed his head.

Santander issued an official apology on its Instagram on the 14th (Korean time), saying, "The content I shared was hurtful and went against my beliefs."

He said, "Through conversations with people I trust, I felt responsible as a public figure and realized that I should have been more careful about sharing posts," and pledged, "I respect the Muslim community and will not share content that incites hatred in the future."

On the 5th, right after the U.S. midterm elections, Santander shared a video of a Christian pastor saying, "There are no good Muslims," ​​and a video claiming that Islamic law (Sharia) would spread in the United States due to Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim-American elected to the U.S. Senate in Michigan, but deleted it the next day.

As the controversy spread, the Toronto club drew a line, saying, "Santander's personal opinions do not represent the values ​​and beliefs of our club, which values ​​inclusivity."

Toronto, Canada, is a multiracial city that takes a firm stance against racial discrimination.

Toronto club president Mark Schuffiro then met with community leaders and apologized to the Muslim community, and general manager Ross Atkins directly requested Santander to publicly express its position, leading to this apology.

Additional disciplinary action at the club level has not yet been decided.

Santander, a native of Venezuela, signed a large five-year contract worth $92.5 million with Toronto in January 2025 after playing for eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

However, due to the aftermath of a shoulder injury, he was unable to play in a single game in the 2026 season, and combined with this incident, his position in the team was further narrowed.