This baseball star’s popularity has declined among millennials

When it comes to baseball and millennials, there’s a growing movement that overlooks the sport because games take too long. As such, faster moving sports like basketball and football attract more attention. However, baseball is still the second most popular sport in the country, which means there are still millennials who love and hate the game.

To find the names of gamers millennials aren’t so interested in, we look at data provided by YouGov, which uses survey results from the second quarter of 2024. From this study, YouGov compiled a list of gamers to discover exactly what names do millennials have. soured for various reasons, including poor play or being part of a team once accused of cheating.

Why is this so important?

For every wildly popular baseball player, a dozen others are booed by millennial fans.

Baseball generates billions of dollars annually through ticket sales, concessions and big-name sponsors, which is highly relevant to the 24/7 Wall Street audience. Many of the names and brands we cover regularly on this website, including Ford, Verizon, Nike, Budweiser, and Chevrolet, all play an important role in generating major league baseball revenue.

16. Josh Hader

Josh Hader had a string of regretful tweets that fans haven’t forgotten.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 36%

Indeed, Josh Hader is on this list even years after his racist tweet incident. Millennials have a hard time forgetting that this happened, no matter how well they play on the field. Millennials consider Hader’s behavior unforgivable and one of the worst things any player can do that they should show.

15. Fernando Tatis, Jr.

The cheating allegations have been a dark cloud for Fernando Tatis, Jr.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 36%

It’s awkward to see Fernando Tatis, Jr. on this list considering Padres fans were in love with him two years ago. Of course, it didn’t help that in September 2023, Tatis was accused of cheating by a Triple-A pitcher, which immediately drew boos from millennial Padres fans.

14. Jose Abreu

Jose Abreu can’t shake the disappointment of the cheating allegations.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 36%

Calling Jose Abreu one of the worst free agent signings in Astros history is just one of the many insults millennial baseball fans think of when his name comes up in conversation. At one point, Abreu’s fans worried that he was trying too hard on the field and not listening enough to coaches to see serious improvement.

13. Miguel Andujar

Miguel Andujar never shook the millennial disappointment when he was a Yankee.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 36%

If you ask a millennial what they don’t like about Miguel Andujar, you might have a hard time getting a straight answer. Because of this, his presence on this list is a bit of a mystery, but it’s clear that he was never a star in the lineup when he wore a Yankees uniform.

12. Zack Greinke

After winning a major pitching award, Zack Greinke wasn’t grateful to the fans.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 36%

One of the biggest reasons millennial fans aren’t in love with Zack Greinke is that he didn’t thank the fans when he won the Cy Young Award. Fans also complain that he is abrasive on and off the field, a huge red flag for millennials who want to see a baseball player be a better person.

11. Mike Moustakas

Mike Moustakas can’t shake fans’ disappointment with the White Sox’ worst season yet.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 34%

Mike Moustakas is another ball player who steps up and is often on the receiving end of a lot of boos. While Moustakas has historically been a good third baseman, playing for the White Sox in 2024 on a team on their worst hitting streak ever isn’t helping him win back millennial fans.

10. Corey Seager

Millennials were disappointed after Corey Seager chose money over team loyalty.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 34%

Many people like Corey Seager’s emotional intelligence on the field, but he still isn’t as popular with millennials as he could be. Dodger fans, in particular, were unhappy that he didn’t want to stay with the team and let money, above all else, influence his decision-making to seek a trade.

9. Josh Bell

Josh Bell doesn’t have a lot of millennial fans on Reddit.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 34%

If you go any further on Reddit, you’ll find far too many millennials trying to make excuses for why Josh Bell isn’t so bad. If the conversation around any ball player gets to the point where they are nothing but excuses for the play on the field, it’s pretty clear why Josh Bell deserves a spot on this list.

8. Manny Machado

Manny Machado is doing himself no favors with his millennial fans.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 34%

After a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, millennials fell in love with Manny Machado. Although his name is well-known in baseball, his bad-boy reputation has earned him backlash from millennials whenever he steps up to bat.

7. Javier Baez

After leaving the Cubs, Javier Baez’s stock sank for millennia.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 33%

After Chicago fell in love with Javier Baez and helped the team win its first World Series in over a century, he seems to have fallen off the planet. Baez’s decline in play has led Detroit fans to believe he’s out of his depth, and without any significant pressure to perform, he’s simply not living up to the same potential he displayed in Chicago.

6. Charlie Blackmon

Millennial fans are concerned that Charlie Blackmon is no longer aggressive.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 33%

Millennials are likely to call Charlie Blackmon’s recent on-field performance disappointing. There is a widely shared opinion that he is not as aggressive as he could be, and the general frustration within the Rockies franchise may fall on the shoulders of Blackmon, one of the team’s most prominent faces.

5. Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor has been met with nothing but boos lately.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 33%

Every time Francisco Lindor steps up to the plate to take a swing, there’s a chorus of boos, even from his home crowd. This happened years after New York Mets fans, including millennials, didn’t hide their feelings about Lindor’s play. His game improved after a fairly lackluster year in 2021, but not enough to win back his millennial fan base.

4. George Springer

Even after leaving Houston, George Springer can’t shake the Astros’ cheating allegations.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 33%

A member of the 2017 Houston Astros World Series team accused of stealing signs, George Springer, is unlikely to see his popularity rise. While he may be an All-Star outfielder, the blemish shake that is a scandal of this magnitude will always cause fans to look at Springer with untrustworthy eyes.

3. Salvador Perez

Salvador Perez is a great catcher who doesn’t produce enough for his fans.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 33%

There is good reason to like Salvador Perez, as he is one of the best catchers in the game right now statistically. However, he still hasn’t endeared himself to millennial fans who aren’t excited about Perez ever being a Hall of Fame candidate.

2. Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa is another member of the 2017 Houston Astros accused of cheating.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 33%

It should come as no surprise that Carlos Correa was a prominent member of the Houston Astros who was accused of cheating and sign stealing. This undoubtedly influenced millennials’ opinions of Correa as a player and teammate. While he might be an above-average player, he’s unlikely to ever earn the respect or trust of millennial fans.

1. Gleyber Torres

Fans are concerned that Gleyber Torres’ pitching position is affecting his results.

• Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 29%

For many millennials, Gleyber Torres is the least popular ball player, probably because the expectations for him are too high. There have long been concerns about his leg kick throwing him off balance, but also that his rookie season wasn’t all that remarkable. Plus, there’s also the belief that if he hadn’t been in the pressure cooker of Yankee Stadium, he might be a stronger performer.

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