Dan Le Batard rips MLB’s pro-salary cap ad campaign as ‘propaganda’

Major League Baseball has been running pro-salary cap ads on MLB.tv as labor negotiations with the MLB Players Association begin to intensify, and the campaign is already drawing pointed criticism—including from The Dan Le Batard Show.

The ads, which are part of an advertising campaign called “Level the Playing Field,” have been playing regularly on MLB.tv. They also appear on MLB’s social media pages, with a link to the campaign now featuring prominently in MLB’s X bio.

Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement with the MLBPA expires on December 1, 2026. It is widely believed that MLB and the MLBPA are far from a deal, and without one, owners are expected to initiate a lockout.

According to Sports Business Journal, the ads are intended to push the public toward becoming more pro-salary cap, and likely more pro-owner, in the event of a lockout. SBJ spoke to Jeff Hunt, founding partner of Legend Labs, who has worked on media strategy and reputation management with high-profile athletes, about the campaign.

“You try to get the public on your side and get ahead of it,” Hunt said. “Whether it works or not, whether it’s right or not, it’s a smart and aggressive strategy.”

Early reaction suggests the strategy may not be landing as MLB hoped.

Dan Le Batard had some especially sharp criticism for Major League Baseball after watching the ads during his show.

“I’ve never, in my history covering sports, seen a marketing team that is ahead of everybody on the future warning you, 18 months from now, let me sell that this is not going to be our fault,” Le Batard said. “Our sport needs it. We need to put a cap on the players. Not because the owners are greedy and the commissioner can’t control them, but they need the costs to be fixed because they can’t control themselves. Let’s do propaganda using fan voices.”

We have NEVER seen a commercial like this… pic.twitter.com/oV70ILpJVJ

— The Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) July 16, 2026

MLB’s aggressive public campaign also comes despite its own polling suggesting fans already favor a salary cap. A Morning Consult survey cited by the campaign found that 79% of avid fans support one.

With Major League Baseball and its players potentially headed for a lockout, this will likely be only the beginning of the PR campaign for both sides. But if MLB wants to maintain its claimed support for a salary cap, this aggressive campaign may have been the wrong move.