“Woke King”; “Perpetual victim” - Fans wildly split as Jack Flaherty’s pro-LGBTQ+ and anti-racism tee sparks debate

Detroit Tigers ace Jack Flaherty ignited a flurry of fan reactions after he posted a picture, wearing a pro-LBGTQ+ and anti-racism tee. On Monday, Flaherty dropped a picture where, in the top right corner of the T-shirt, several important messages were printed.

Through this T-shirt, Flaherty asks his followers to "fight racism," encourage "social justice," be "accountable," and protect "LGBTQ+ rights."

However, some fans found it disturbing as they shared their point of view regarding such important and controversial topics. One fan reposted Flaherty's picture on X, paving the way for discussion.

"not goat," the fan wrote. "my woke king jack," another fan commented.

One user referred to the post of Jonathan Lucroy, who affirmed with Alex Fienberg's point of view regarding baseball players and their ideology. Fienberg wrote:

"Very few MLB players lean left. Because you can't be a good baseball player and also believe that you're a victim. Everyone who has played baseball long enough realizes that life is unfair and it is your job to exploit the unfairness."

Fans were largely divided on Flaherty's controversial tee.

"The original post that lucroy is quoting is fundamentally flawed. Baseball players are perpetual victims. If they’re not whining about umps, they’re whining about the other team “not respecting them”, other players celebrating too much, etc," the fan commented. "no matter how much you call him gay, his girl will always be hotter than anything you will ever have," one fan wrote. "Not all ball players prefer substance to style. Some live & die for approval," one fan posted. "You lucky jerks got him back. 😭 I miss our woke king," another reacted.

Jack Flaherty picks up $20M Tigers option for 2026

Jack Flaherty has opted against free agency this offseason by picking up his $20 million player option to stay with the Tigers for the 2026 season. This is part of his two-year, $35 million contract signed before the 2025 season.

The contract included $5 million signing bonus, $20 million salary in 2025 and a $20 million salary in 2026, if he made at least 15 starts this year, which he did.

In 2025, the right-hander made 31 starts, posting a 4.64 ERA, while going 8-15 on the mound. He will be a key member of the Tigers' rotation in 2026 alongside two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Edited by Krutik Jain