Baseball is a game of failure. Even the greats strike out, give up bombs, or go through rough stretches, but some guys handle adversity like they just got personally betrayed by the universe.
This list is for the players who mastered the art of finger-pointing, excuse-making, and throwing subtle shade when things didn’t go their way. Whether it was the media, the fans, or a teammate not pulling their weight, these stars always had someone else to blame.
15. Bryce Harper
Harper’s got the swagger of a rockstar and the quotes to match, especially when things don’t break his way. He’s never been shy about implying others aren’t holding up their end of the bargain.
14. A.J. Pierzynski
If there was drama, Pierzynski was probably in the middle of it, and never wrong, of course. He could stir the pot and still find a way to say the stew wasn’t his fault.
13. Manny Ramirez
Manny being Manny was all fun and games until the slump hit or a suspension came down. That’s when the confusion kicked in, and suddenly Manny wasn’t quite sure how things went off the rails.
12. Josh Donaldson
Donaldson always brought the intensity, but he also brought a suitcase full of grievances. Whether it was the front office, the shift, or the weather, he had a reason why things didn’t click.
11. David Wells
When things went wrong, Wells never held back on who he thought was to blame, usually anyone but himself. From media criticism to team decisions, he had opinions and wasn’t afraid to share them.
10. Carlos Zambrano
Zambrano could melt down with the best of them, and he never seemed to think it was his fault. If a game spiraled, it was often due to a bad call, poor defense, or the universe being unfair.
9. Matt Harvey
The “Dark Knight” narrative was fun until Gotham turned on him. Injuries, demotions, and clubhouse drama followed, and Harvey rarely took full ownership of the fall.
8. Milton Bradley
Bradley always seemed to be at war with something or someone. When things went south, it was never just about baseball, it was a bigger conspiracy against him.
7. Trevor Bauer
Even before the off-field controversies, Bauer loved to portray himself as misunderstood. Criticism never sat well, and he made sure people knew it wasn’t just about his performance; it was politics, media bias, or jealousy.
6. Jose Canseco
Canseco turned self-pity into a brand after his playing days, but the groundwork was laid during his career. From steroid fallout to being “blackballed,” he made it clear he saw himself as a victim of the system.
5. Barry Bonds
Bonds didn’t say a lot, but his body language said everything when things weren’t perfect. He often acted like the world owed him more credit and less judgment.
4. Alex Rodriguez
A-Rod was constantly juggling public perception and personal redemption tours. Every setback came with a calculated narrative shift, usually focused on how misunderstood he was.
3. Yasiel Puig
Puig brought energy and chaos, but when things unraveled, so did the excuses. He didn’t just struggle, he was misused, misjudged, or mishandled.
Read More: The 15 Most Delusional MLB Stars of All Time
2. Roger Clemens
Clemens rarely admitted fault, even when controversy hit like a 100 mph fastball. From beanball wars to performance-enhancing allegations, he always framed himself as the wrongly accused.
Read More: The 15 Most Conceited MLB Stars of All Time
1. Curt Schilling
No one loves to play the victim card like Schilling, on and off the field. He’s built a post-baseball persona on grievance, but the seeds were planted every time he lost a game and blamed everything but his performance.
Read More: 10 Most Dramatic MLB Players of the 2000s
