Being a fan of baseball is an emotional rollercoaster on its own—but rooting for certain players can feel like signing up for permanent heartbreak, frustration, or secondhand embarrassment. Whether they were dramatic or just constantly in the middle of some nonsense, these players tested the patience of their most loyal fans.
Some were outrageously talented but maddeningly inconsistent. Others had a flair for making everything more complicated than it needed to be. From constant controversies to endless slumps, here are 30 MLB players who were exhausting to root for.
30. Yasiel Puig
You never knew if you were getting a clutch homer or a boneheaded baserunning blunder. Puig was electric, chaotic, and somehow exhausting all at once.
29. Jonathan Papelbon
From the chest-pounding antics to the dugout scuffles, rooting for Papelbon came with a full stress test. Even when he was closing out wins, he somehow made it feel messy.
28. Carlos Zambrano
Zambrano could throw a no-hitter one day and punch a Gatorade cooler the next. His emotions ran as hot as his fastball, and fans never got a moment to relax.
27. Rick Ankiel
His story was inspiring, sure, but the wild pitching yips phase, followed by the outfield reboot, was a lot to process. Rooting for him meant constantly recalibrating expectations.
26. Alex Rios
He looked like a five-tool superstar and played like one about three weeks a year. For the rest of the time, fans were left wondering where the effort had gone.
25. Rocco Baldelli
Every time he started showing promise, something happened—injuries, weird illnesses, or just long stretches of nothing. It felt like rooting for a mirage.
24. Edwin Encarnación
He’d hit 15 home runs in a month and then vanish for what felt like an eternity. Fans were left on a never-ending treadmill of hope and confusion.
23. Jeff Francoeur
He came in like a hometown hero with a cannon for an arm but quickly became the poster child for unfulfilled potential. Rooting for him meant clinging to flashes that never lasted.
22. Pablo Sandoval
He could be magical in October, but trying to get through the regular season with him was a lesson in patience. The weight issues and off-field drama didn’t help.
21. Ian Desmond
He played every position, and none of them particularly well. When you thought he was figuring it out, the strikeouts would flood back in.
20. J.D. Drew
The talent was always there, but the passion never quite seemed to be there. Watching him felt like watching someone quietly tolerate the sport.
19. Ugueth Urbina
On the field, he was solid but not exactly reassuring in the late innings. Off the field, things got weird fast.
18. Hanley Ramírez
When he was locked in, he was an MVP-type force, but the lack of hustle and frequent injuries made fans age in dog years. He made everything look easy—until it wasn’t.
17. Jason Heyward
He had all the tools and never quite put them together consistently. Every spring, it felt like this would be the year, and then it wasn’t.
16. Delmon Young
He showed up big in random playoff games, but the rest of the time, it was a lot of frustration. The baggage off the field didn’t help matters either.
15. Melky Cabrera
Just when you started to believe in him, the PED suspension dropped. He never quite shook the feeling of being too good to trust.
14. Stephen Strasburg
He was supposed to be a generational ace, but injuries made rooting for him feel like walking on eggshells. Dominant one day, shut down for the season the next.
13. Manny Machado
Fans of his teams loved the glove and the bat, but the effort level often fluctuated. The occasional on-field drama just added to the fatigue.
12. Carl Crawford
His contract was massive, but his performance was not. By the end, fans were counting the days until it was over.
11. Trevor Bauer
The spin rate was incredible, but the social media presence was less so. Even when he was pitching well, there was always something distracting going on.
10. Joba Chamberlain
He was supposed to be the next big Yankees star, but it all unraveled so fast. His hype-to-results ratio became a punchline in record time.
9. Milton Bradley
There was always drama—ejections, altercations, controversy. Watching him play felt like bracing for an inevitable explosion.
8. Yoenis Céspedes
He could hit a ball to the moon, then disappear for weeks, or go missing on a road trip. It was a constant guessing game with his availability.
7. Barry Zito
He signed a huge contract and then lost his ability to pitch effectively. Every start felt like a lesson in dashed expectations.
6. Aroldis Chapman
Sure, the fastball was ridiculous, but he never felt reliable in the biggest moments. Rooting for him came with an unavoidable sense of dread.
5. Gary Sánchez
He’d go on a tear and look like the best-hitting catcher in baseball, then couldn’t catch or hit anything for a month. Yankees fans had whiplash for years.
4. José Reyes
When he was locked in, he was electric. But his inconsistency and off-field troubles made him a tough guy to support without reservations.
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3. Josh Hamilton
Unbelievable talent with a heartbreaking journey, but the comeback arcs never stuck. Fans spent more time worrying than celebrating.
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2. Bryce Harper (Early Years)
He’s matured into a great face for the game, but those early seasons were a mix of hype, tantrums, and growing pains. Rooting for him used to feel like babysitting a rock star.
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1. Alex Rodriguez
Incredible numbers, unbelievable drama. No player in modern baseball history was more exhausting to root for—or against—than A-Rod.
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