The Biggest MLB Scandals and Controversies Over the Years: From Gambling to Stealing Signs

The MLB has experienced its fair share of public scandals over the years, some of which involved more than one player — and in some cases, an entire team.

After years of speculation, The Athletic published an exposé in November 2019, revealing that the Houston Astros had been stealing signs from opposing teams. This quickly became the biggest controversy in the MLB of recent years.

A former Astros pitcher explained to a reporter at the time that the team placed a video camera in center field, which was aimed at the opposing team’s catcher to film how pitches were called. The livestream was being watched during each game with players and team staffers signaling to Astros players — by banging on trash cans — which pitch was coming next.

Following an MLB investigation into the claims, the organization determined in January 2020 that the Astros had stolen signs throughout the entirety of the 2017 baseball season and some of the 2018 regular season.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the some of the biggest scandals in baseball over the years:

Pete Rose’s Betting Scandal

Following his playing career, Rose — who is the all-time hits leader in MLB history — took on a role as the Cincinnati Reds manager. During his managerial career, Rose was accused of gambling on games during his playing career, with a strong suggestion that he bet on games that involved his own team.

While Rose vehemently denied the accusations for years, he was banned from the MLB and wasn’t eligible for inclusion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, Rose admitted that the allegations were true.

Rose died from heart disease at 83 years old in September 2024.

The 2013 HGH Scandal

While steroid scandals have run rampant throughout the MLB over the years, things reached a new level in 2013 when 20 players were accused of human growth hormone (HGH) after obtaining it from the Biogenesis of America clinic in Florida.

The scandal broke when a former Biogenesis employee linked several MLB players to the clinic. A total of 14 athletes were linked to the scandal, and several denied any involvement.

Tony Bosch, the clinic’s owner, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute testosterone in October 2014. However, USA Today reported at the time that it was not specified if the charges were related to the MLB scandal. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

Jose Fernandez’s Death

The Miami Marlins player died at age 24 in September 2016 in a boating crash.

The athlete was driving a boat at 65 mph with two other men — Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias — on board when he struck a rock jetty in Miami Beach. All three men were found dead at the scene with Fernández cause of death being the blunt impact of the crash. A toxicology report, which was obtained by ESPN, later revealed that Fernández had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. (Rivero and Macias’ families sued the Fernández estate in 2017 claiming negligence and personal injury. The suits were settled the following year.)

An investigative report published in March 2017 ruled that Fernández had been driving the boat “in a reckless manner, at an extremely high rate of speed, in the darkness of night, in an area with known navigational hazards such as rock jetties and channel markers.” It was also noted that he was legally drunk at the time of the crash with a blood alcohol level of 0.147% — nearly double the legal limit.

Investigators also ruled that Fernández violated various state laws, including involuntary manslaughter, boating under the influence, vessel homicide, and reckless or careless operation of a vessel. (The Fernández family attorney eventually challenged the findings.)

All That Sign Stealing

Following the MLB’s January 2020 ruling that the Astros had participated in sign stealing, the team’s manager A. J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year. They were subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane.

The Astros organization was also fined $5 million and lost first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.

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 in 2017) were also implicated in the scandal. Cora and Beltran were released from the Red Sox and Mets organizations, respectively, in January 2020.

The Spider Tack Ban

Pitcher Trevor Bauer first brought up the use of Spider Tack — a resin-based substance used to improve grip on the baseball — during a 2020 interview on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He approximated that about 70 percent of MLB pitchers were using an illegal substance while on the mound.

The following year, the MLB looked into the baseballs being used during games. By June 2021, it was determined that pitchers who were found using illegal substances during games would be ejected from the game and subsequently receive a 10-game suspension.

Several pitchers, including Edwin Díaz and Ronel Blanco, have since been suspended for using sticky substances.

Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Makes Headlines

It made headlines when Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired in March 2024. At the time, representatives for the athlete accused Mizuhara of stealing millions from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts in an illegal sportsbook.

A criminal complaint alleged that Mizuhara would wire money into the account of someone who went by the name of “Associate 1.” Months later, ESPN reported that “Associate 1” was Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedranti’s fiancé, Ryan Boyajian.

Ohtani has maintained that he was the victim of a “massive theft” and had no involvement in Mizuhara’s wrongdoings. In June 2024, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud.

Mariano Rivera’s Alleged Sexual Abuse Cover Up

In January 2025, a lawsuit alleged that the former New York Yankees pitcher covered up child sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in their New York home and at a summer camp connected to their church.

Rivera and his wife, Clara, denied the accusations.

“Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind and allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse are completely false,” Joseph A. Ruta, the couple’s lawyer, said in a statement after news of the suit went public.

“The very first time they heard about these allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when in 2022 a New York attorney sent a letter requesting a financial settlement. This was followed by a second letter in 2023, from a different Florida law firm, again requesting a financial settlement,” the statement continued. “The lawsuit, which seeks financial damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is full of inaccurate and misleading statements which we have no doubt will not hold up in a court of law.”