SF Giants who wrote Bible verses on Pride hats get MLB warning: report
The three Giants pitchers who inscribed a Bible verse on their Pride Night hats last week have been issued a warning from Major League Baseball, according to a report by Outsports.com.
Last Friday, the Giants wore special black caps in honor of Pride Night at Oracle Park. The "SF" logo featured every color of the Progress Pride flag. Starting pitcher Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker inscribed a message on their hats, sparking significant controversy on during the game and in the days since.
Monday, Pat Courtney, MLB's chief communications officer, told Outsports in a statement that the “writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations.” Courtney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.
Roupp and Walker inscribed "Genesis 9:12-16" on the outside of their caps. Brubaker wrote “Genesis 9:13-15" by the logo. The biblical messages are references to the story of Noah's ark, which states that the rainbow is a symbol of a covenant between God and all living creatures.
Another Giants reliever, Sam Hentges, refused to wear the Pride cap, taking the mound in a standard black base, black brim and orange font cap.
Following the game, Roupp said of the inscription, “It's just about God's covenant and a promise that he makes to us that his faithfulness and his mercy. It's just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that. Thankfully, we live in a country where we have the freedom to believe what we want and express what we want."
When asked about the timing of wearing the message, he added, "It's not anything - there's no hate at all. It's just what I stand for and what I stand (on). I believe in God."
Each of the Giants’ players insisted there was no “hate” behind their writing. Brubaker and Walker noted that scripture says God calls upon Christians to love everybody.
The Bay Area has dozens of LGBTQ+ centers to support members of the community.
Giants manager Tony Vitello said over the weekend that he was "not really" involved in any pregame discussions about the writing on the caps.
"Just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals that have the freedom to do what they think is best," Vitello said. "I do think it's been apparent from Day 1 - actually, even some of the exhibition games - it's pretty impressive how the Giants, as an organization, try to embrace the entire community."
The Giants have a long history of promoting the LGBTQ+ community. In 1994, they were the first professional sports team to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game. In 2015, the team signed an amicus brief in support of same-sex marriage. In 2021, the Giants became the first team to incorporate Pride colors into their on-field uniform for their Pride game.
Following the game, the Giants released a statement about the controversy.
"The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued," the statement reads. "We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. We understand that the choices by individual players has caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization's commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration."
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 8:25 PM.