MLB Scandals and Controversies Through the Years: From Gambling to Sign Stealing

Major League Baseball (MLB) has faced numerous public scandals throughout its history, many involving multiple players and, in some instances, entire teams.

In November 2019, The Athletic published an exposé that shed light on the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing efforts against rival teams. This revelation rapidly escalated into one of the most significant controversies in the MLB in recent times.

A former pitcher for the Astros disclosed to a reporter that the team had installed a video camera in center field directed at the opposing catcher to document pitch-calling. During games, this livestream was monitored by players and staff who would signal Astros players about upcoming pitches by banging on trash cans.

Following a thorough investigation by the MLB, it was confirmed in January 2020 that the Astros had engaged in sign stealing throughout the entire 2017 season and part of the 2018 regular season.

Scroll down for a look at some of the most notable scandals in baseball history:

Pete Rose’s Betting Scandal

After retiring, Rose — the all-time hits leader in MLB — became the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. During his tenure, he faced accusations of gambling on games while he was a player, with strong implications that he bet on contests involving his own team.

Although Rose consistently denied these allegations for many years, he was eventually banned from MLB and became ineligible for the Hall of Fame. In 2014, he admitted that the accusations were accurate.

Rose passed away from heart disease at the age of 83 in September 2024.

The 2013 HGH Scandal

While steroid controversies have been prevalent in MLB, the situation escalated further in 2013 when 20 players were accused of utilizing human growth hormone (HGH) obtained from the Biogenesis of America clinic in Florida.

The scandal erupted when a former employee of Biogenesis linked various MLB players to the clinic, resulting in 14 athletes being implicated, many of whom denied participation.

Tony Bosch, the clinic’s owner, pleaded guilty in October 2014 to one count of conspiracy to distribute testosterone. However, USA Today reported that it remained unclear if the charges were related to the MLB scandal. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison.

Jose Fernandez’s Death

The Miami Marlins player tragically died at 24 in a boating accident in September 2016.

Fernández was operating a boat at 65 mph with two other men — Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias — when the boat crashed into a rock jetty in Miami Beach. All three men were found deceased at the scene, with Fernández’s cause of death attributed to blunt force trauma from the crash. A toxicology report revealed that Fernández had both cocaine and alcohol in his system during the incident. (Rivero and Macias’ families later sued Fernández’s estate in 2017, claiming negligence and personal injury; the lawsuits were settled the following year.)

An investigative report released in March 2017 determined that Fernández was driving the boat “recklessly, at an extremely high rate of speed, in darkness, within an area known for navigational hazards like rock jetties.” It was noted that he was legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.147%, almost double the legal limit.

Authorities ruled that Fernández had violated multiple state laws, including involuntary manslaughter, operating a vessel under the influence, vessel homicide, and reckless operation of a boat. (Fernández’s family attorney later contested these findings.)

All That Sign Stealing

In January 2020, following the MLB’s findings regarding the Astros’ sign-stealing activities, the team’s manager A. J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow received one-year suspensions. They were subsequently fired by the team’s owner, Jim Crane.

The MLB also imposed a $5 million fine on the Astros and stripped them of their first- and second-round draft picks for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (who was the Astros bench coach in 2017) and New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran (who played for the Astros that year) were also implicated. Cora and Beltran were dismissed from their respective teams’ organizations in January 2020.

The Spider Tack Ban

Pitcher Trevor Bauer raised concerns about the use of Spider Tack — a resin-like substance that enhances grip on baseballs — during a 2020 interview on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He estimated that around 70% of MLB pitchers were utilizing illegal substances while pitching.

The following year, the MLB began investigating the baseballs used in games. By June 2021, it was announced that pitchers caught using illegal substances during games would be ejected and face a 10-game suspension.

Since then, several pitchers, including Edwin Díaz and Ronel Blanco, have been suspended for using sticky substances.

Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Makes Headlines

In March 2024, headlines broke when Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was let go. Representatives for Ohtani accused Mizuhara of allegedly stealing millions from the athlete to settle gambling debts related to an illegal sportsbook.

A criminal complaint suggested that Mizuhara wired funds into an account of someone referred to as “Associate 1.” Months later, ESPN revealed that “Associate 1” was Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedranti’s fiancé, Ryan Boyajian.

Ohtani proclaimed that he was the victim of a “massive theft” and had no part in Mizuhara’s illicit actions. By June 2024, Mizuhara had pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud.

Mariano Rivera’s Alleged Sexual Abuse Cover Up

In January 2025, a lawsuit emerged, alleging that former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera covered up incidents of child sexual abuse supposedly occurring at a New York home and a summer camp affiliated with their church.

Rivera and his wife, Clara, firmly denied the allegations.

“Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind, and claims that they knew about or ignored reports of child abuse are entirely false,” stated Joseph A. Ruta, the couple’s attorney, after the news about the lawsuit broke.

“They first learned of these allegations nearly four years post-incident, in 2022, when a New York attorney sought a financial settlement. A subsequent letter requesting a settlement was sent by a different Florida law firm in 2023,” the statement noted. “The lawsuit seeks financial damages for alleged inaction on incidents that were never reported to them, containing numerous inaccurate and misleading claims that we believe will not survive legal scrutiny.”