Anthony Santander shared a series of Islamophobic videos to his Instagram Stories earlier this week, prompting the Toronto Blue Jays to publicly distance themselves from their injured outfielder's posts. The videos appeared shortly after Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's U.S. Senate race and were deleted within days, but not before drawing sharp criticism and forcing the club to respond.
According to The Athletic, Santander shared the videos Wednesday. TSN reported that one clip claimed Sharia law would be coming to the United States after El-Sayed's election, while another featured a Christian preacher asserting there is “no such thing as kind Muslims.” The Athletic reported that one video said “America voted for Sharia Last Night!” and another declared “Islam is not peaceful.” Santander took the content down Thursday morning, as detailed by The Athletic.
The posts came in the wake of El-Sayed's win over Republican Mike Rogers, a race the Associated Press called for El-Sayed at 2:27 a.m., according to Bridge Michigan. El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, is set to become the first Muslim American U.S. senator. During the campaign, he highlighted his faith and heritage, championed the Palestinian cause, and mocked critics on the right, while also facing Islamophobic rhetoric on the trail, per the Associated Press.
Team Says Comments Don't Reflect Organizational Values
The Blue Jays addressed the controversy in a statement reported by the Toronto Star, saying “individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs.” The team added that it has worked to create “an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark,” the Star reported, framing baseball as a sport meant for everyone.
Santander, who is from Venezuela, signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto after spending his first eight major league seasons with Baltimore. He has appeared in just 54 regular-season games across two years with the Blue Jays, and three guaranteed years remain on his deal, according to The Athletic's report. He missed the entire 2026 season after labral surgery on his left shoulder, the same outlet noted.
A Pattern of Player Controversies in Toronto
Santander's posts are not the first time a Blue Jays player has drawn scrutiny for public comments. In 2023, reliever Anthony Bass shared a social media post supporting anti-LGBTQ boycotts and was released two weeks later, though the team characterized the move at the time as a “baseball decision,” per The Athletic. In 2012, former Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar was suspended for three games and required to undergo sensitivity training after a homophobic slur was spotted written beneath his eyes during a game, the Toronto Star reported.
Reaction to Santander's videos spread quickly online. On X, Canadian human rights advocate Amira Elghawaby wrote that “Anthony Santander is a role model and public figure looked up to by young sports fans,” adding that “his reckless actions have impact, and we have seen anti Muslim hate turn deadly in Canada.” She argued that “deleting his posts is not enough” and said Santander “owes fans an apology,” while calling on the Blue Jays to take a stronger stand.
