As the tenth anniversary approaches, a memorable moment in sports and social media history involving prominent model Kate Upton and her husband, Major League Baseball pitcher Justin Verlander, is being revisited. The incident centers on a fiery tweet Upton posted in 2016 following Verlander's close second-place finish in the American League Cy Young Award race.
Upton, known for her modeling career, did not hesitate to voice her strong disapproval, directly addressing Major League Baseball and calling for accountability from the sportswriters who had omitted her husband from their ballots. Her intention to seek answers was clear as she began her public commentary.
The Cy Young Controversy and Upton's Reaction
What was Verlander's awareness of this social media outburst? He revealed on the 'On Base with Mookie Betts' podcast that he had no prior knowledge. The veteran pitcher discovered the unfolding situation only after it had already gained momentum, with Upton having sent several tweets.
I was doing MLB Network, they had the three finalists on the air, and as soon as it came out, she was firing. And so we finished the interview and I go down, and she’s like, 'You're not going to like it.' And sure enough, she had fired off a bunch of stuff, and she had another one preloaded, ready to go.
While the exact content of the preloaded tweet remains unknown, Verlander confirmed he intervened at that point, instructing her to cease her social media activity. Upton’s clear dissatisfaction stemmed from her husband's narrow loss to Rick Porcello by a margin of just five points.
Her most notable statement, which quickly became infamous, was shared publicly:
Hey @MLB I thought I was the only person allowed to f— @JustinVerlander ?! What 2 writers didn't have him on their ballot?
Impact on Public Profile
By 2016, Kate Upton had already established herself as a significant figure in the modeling world, particularly through her features in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, where she had graced two of her eventual four covers.
This particular social media post, however, further solidified her public image as a prominent spouse within the MLB community. On November 16, 2016, the day Justin Verlander was announced as the Cy Young runner-up, Upton chose not to remain silent, instead directly challenging Major League Baseball.
