MLB Says Giants Players Won’t Be Punished Over Bible Verses on Pride Night Caps

Major League Baseball has formally closed the book on its Pride Night Bible verse controversy, assuring lawmakers that San Francisco Giants players who referenced Scripture on their uniforms will face no punishment despite an earlier warning from league officials.

Commissioner Rob Manfred delivered that message in a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), arguing that MLB was simply enforcing a standard uniform policy rather than targeting players for their religious beliefs.

“The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be,” Manfred wrote.

The dispute began when several Giants players used Pride Night to make a separate statement about their Christian faith.

Among them was starting pitcher Landen Roupp, who wrote a reference to Genesis 9 beside the rainbow logo on his cap. The passage recounts God’s covenant with Noah after the flood and identifies the rainbow as the symbol of that promise.

What might have otherwise passed unnoticed quickly turned into a national controversy after critics accused the players of undermining the purpose of the team’s Pride celebration, while supporters argued they were exercising protected religious expression.

In his letter, Manfred rejected the idea that MLB had singled out Christian players.

“By warning the Giants players that they may not include Bible verses on their caps in the future, MLB was not discriminating or chastising those players based on their religious beliefs; rather, MLB was enforcing (with only an oral warning) a long-standing, collectively bargained rule that keeps uniforms clean and avoids controversy,” he wrote.

Manfred explained that MLB tightly regulates alterations to uniforms and only authorizes league-wide commemorative designs for a limited number of events, including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Sept. 11 and Jackie Robinson Day.

Pride Night uniforms occupy a different category. According to Manfred, clubs may request approval for additional commemorative designs, and the Giants and Dodgers were granted permission several years ago to continue using Pride-themed logos during their annual celebrations.

“Los Angeles and San Francisco are homes to some of the largest LGBTQ communities in the United States, and those clubs desired to show their appreciation and support for those communities,” Manfred wrote.

At the same time, he acknowledged that some players have objected to wearing Pride-themed insignia because of their religious convictions.

“We understand that some players or other on-field personnel have not been comfortable wearing the pride emblem on their uniform based on their religious beliefs,” he added.

Roupp defended his decision after the game, insisting his message was rooted in faith rather than politics.

“The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant with us, and we as believers stand firm in that … There’s no hate at all,” Roupp told reporters. “It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in, I believe in God.”

The issue gained additional momentum after The Athletic published a column criticizing the players’ decision, arguing that the Biblical references detracted from an event intended to promote inclusion and belonging for LGBTQ fans and participants.

Soon afterward, league officials verbally reminded players that personal messages are not permitted on uniforms, a move that triggered immediate backlash from conservatives, religious-liberty advocates and Republican elected officials.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon was among those who intervened, warning MLB that federal civil-rights law protects employees from being pressured to endorse messages that conflict with their faith.

“The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages,” Dhillon wrote.

In responding to Hawley, Manfred suggested the controversy may have been fueled by confusion inside the Giants clubhouse.

“Unfortunately, this year the Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear. Some players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result,” he wrote.

The commissioner said MLB’s warning was issued before the league understood that players may not have been fully informed of their options.

“After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation – unfortunately, it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication,” Manfred wrote.

.@MLB Commissioner writes to me and admits they were wrong to threaten the Giants players over Bible verses and promises never to fine or discipline these players – or any players for their religious beliefs pic.twitter.com/rnPy2F7fyR

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 22, 2026