The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees are consistently among the most hated teams in Major League Baseball, but who is the most hated player?
That's the question that sports betting website BetOnline.ag wanted to answer for the 2022 MLB season.
Fifteen years ago, the answer might have been Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. If MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was a choice, fans easily would pick him, but amongst the current iteration of the game's greats, which player is loathed the most?
In order to find out, BetOnline.ag decided to analyze thousands upon thousands of tweets from Opening Day 2022 to present day, tracking data to decipher which player had the most negative tweets written about them over that span.
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Using sophisticated and advanced trending software, those Twitter queries were repeated for dozens of players across the league. For example, the software searched for keywords like "I hate" this player, or "this player sucks." It even included words like "overrated," "I can't stand," "the worst," curse words, negative emojis, and memes.
Once the data was compiled and analyzed the answer to who is the most hated player in MLB was clear: Former Dodgers' shortstop Manny Machado, now a member of the San Diego Padres, received the most negative tweets on Twitter since Opening Day in early April.
This should come as no surprise for Dodgers' fans. Machado is universally loathed across the league, but perhaps nowhere more so than in Los Angeles.
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Machado was acquired by the Dodgers at the 2018 MLB trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles. He replaced then-shortstop Corey Seager, who missed that year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May.
Fans initially embraced Machado, even bringing back "MANNYWOOD" in the bleacher seats. However, Machado's performance in the postseason, including not hustling to first base on a ground ball against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
After the game, Machado famously said he was not the type of player that was going to be 'Johnny Hustle' and run down the line and slide into first base. Needless to say, that comment rubbed fans the wrong way and when Machado spurned the Dodgers in the offseason to sign with the rival Padres, the dislike only intensified.
Machado continued to pour fuel on the fire during the 2019 season. While playing at Dodger Stadium in July, Machado told fans behind the Padres' on-deck circle that he would bet his entire, 10-year, $300 million dollar contract that San Diego would win the World Series before the Dodgers.
The Dodgers would remember that bet the following season while facing the Padres in the National League Division Series inside "the bubble" at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
With the Dodgers up 1-0 in the best-of-five series, Fernando Tatis Jr. appeared to have hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh inning. However, centerfielder Cody Bellinger leapt over the wall to rob Tatis Jr. of a homer.
Dodgers' pitcher Brusdar Graterol, who thought he had surrendered a homer, was ecstatic when he saw Bellinger rob Tatis Jr and he celebrated emphatically as the team came off the field.
Machado took exception to Graterol's celebration and tempers flared as players from both sides began yelling expletives at each other. The altercation motivated the Dodgers as they went on to win Game 2, and swept the series in a blowout in Game 3.
Los Angeles would go on to win the 2020 World Series and Dodgers fans continued to boo, pester, and let Machado know he lost the bet in the years that followed.
On Thursday night, during the opener of a four-game series at Chavez Ravine between the Dodgers and Padres with first place in the NL West on the line, fans booed Machado mercilessly when he was introduced before his first at-bat of the game.
After Machado, Houston Astros second baseman José Altuve and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper received the second and third most hate on Twitter, respectively.
Another former Dodger, Max Scherzer, finished fourth, and suspended starting pitcher Trevor Bauer finished sixth.
For the full results of the top 30 most hated players in MLB, check out the graph below, courtesy of BetOnline.
