MLB Pitcher Cade Povich Calls Out Fans Sending Death Threats

There’s a troubling trend brewing in Major League Baseball. Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cade Povich recently spoke out about online harassment, revealing that his wife got a threatening message after one of his starts.

Sadly, he’s not alone. Other MLB players have faced the same thing this season, and it’s making a lot of folks in the sport wonder where the line is—especially when social media lets fan hostility spill over from frustration to something much uglier.

Cade Povich Speaks Out After Threatening Message to His Wife

Cade Povich, the 25-year-old lefty for the Orioles, went on X to share what happened. After pitching against the Houston Astros—giving up four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in a wild 10-7 loss—his wife got a threatening Instagram message from an angry fan.

Povich, who sits at 2-7 this season, gets that fans are disappointed when players struggle. Still, he drew a hard line: dragging loved ones into it is way out of bounds.

He made it clear that neither he nor his family should worry about their safety just because of what happens on the field. That message hit home for a lot of players, both teammates and opponents.

Harassment in Baseball Is Not an Isolated Incident

Povich pointed out that his family isn’t the only one dealing with this. Just a few days earlier, Seattle Mariners reliever Tayler Saucedo and his girlfriend posted screenshots showing the abuse they’d gotten after Saucedo had a rough outing against the Phillies.

Even with a 9.82 ERA in seven appearances, Saucedo said he can take criticism about his game. But threats against people he cares about? That’s not part of the deal.

“Fans can tell me I suck—that’s part of the job,” Saucedo said. “But when you threaten someone I care about, that’s not sportsmanship—it’s abuse.”

Previous Incidents Highlight a Dangerous Pattern

Earlier this season, Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. also got death threats after a bad start. The investigation tracked at least one threat to an overseas sports bettor, who admitted he sent it while drunk and mad about losing a bet.

It’s unsettling. A small but loud group of fans seem to think that poor performance means they get to lash out—sometimes violently—thanks to the anonymity of social media.

Why the Line Between Criticism and Abuse Must Be Clear

Fans should be able to vent when a team or player doesn’t perform. But when that anger turns to personal threats, especially toward families, that’s a line nobody should cross.

Social media makes it way too easy to go from disappointment to outright harassment. It’s not just unfair to the targets—it chips away at the spirit of the game. Athletes are people, not just stats on a screen. Threatening them and their families? That shouldn’t be part of anyone’s fandom.

Addressing the Growing Problem in Professional Sports

Players keep speaking up. MLB and other pro leagues are under more and more pressure to actually do something about it.

• Leagues could work with social media companies to spot and block accounts that send violent threats.
• They might offer mental health resources and security support for players and their families.
• Public campaigns could remind fans about how much abusive messages really hurt.
• Betting operators should get involved too, addressing problem gambling that sometimes fuels these emotional outbursts.

Professional sports run on passion and rivalry. Still, there’s got to be a line somewhere, right?

Povich, Saucedo, and McCullers have all said it—protecting players and their loved ones from harassment isn’t just polite, it’s essential.

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Here is the source article for this story: Orioles’ Cade Povich second MLB pitcher this week to call out fans sending death threats