The intention was for it to be a gathering to honor the best in the game; however, the 2025 MLB All-Star Game took a turn with a twist that extended well beyond the field and escalated into a tense media player confrontation. At the heart of it? Marlins slugger Brent Rooker and ESPN’s top MLB insider Jeff Passan locked in a war of words that ignited social media just as fiercely as any home run derby swing-off.

Rooker, a first-time All-Star, didn’t just show up; he showed out. A clutch three-run homer in the 7th inning and two towering shots in the swing-off made it clear he belonged. But instead of getting his flowers, he caught a stray. When Passan bemoaned the absence of star power like Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh in the All-Star festivities, Rooker didn’t stay quiet. He fired back on X: “Am I not good enough for you, Jeff?”

The post had bite, and it landed. Fans rallied behind Rooker, praising his grit, his numbers, and his moment. But what followed was something nobody expected: Passan, known more for breaking trades than breaking character, snapped. Just over an hour later, he unleashed a now-viral tweet that simply read, “Own that loser.”

The fallout was instant. While some fans egged him on, “Jeff is on a heater right now,” one user wrote, others called it what it was: wildly unprofessional. For a respected journalist with national reach, the post felt more like a personal vendetta than witty banter. Suddenly, the spotlight wasn’t on the All-Star MVP or even the game itself; it was on a tweet war spiraling out of control.

What makes this all the more ironic is that Rooker had the stats and the moment to back it all up: 20 HRs, a .279 average, and an OPS north of .860. He didn’t sneak onto the roster; he bulldozed his way in. And when the stage got brightest, he delivered. So if he was a “loser,” as Passan jabbed, then what does that make the people who didn’t show up?

This dust-up has cracked open a larger debate in baseball circles: Should All-Star narratives be shaped by name value or by those actually putting up numbers? And when reporters blur the line between opinion and antagonism, where’s the accountability?

For now, Rooker’s bat has gone quiet. But his message and Passan’s unfiltered clapback will echo long after the All-Star lights dim.

From Clapback to Cooldown: Rooker Softens Tone After All-Star Snub Goes Viral

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game was already bending tradition with its flashy new “swing-off” format, but what really stole the spotlight wasn’t a walk-off homer; it was a few pointed tweets. As the league experimented with replacing extra innings with a one-on-one slugfest, several marquee names like Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Cal Raleigh were nowhere to be seen in the late-game drama. Whether due to rest, injury management, or manager discretion, the usual faces were out, and in their place stepped Brent Rooker, who didn’t just fill the void; he launched it into orbit.

But after ESPN’s Jeff Passan commented on the lack of star power in the final act, the moment got complicated. Rooker, feeling the sting after belting two towering shots in the swing-off, responded online and quickly became the main character on baseball Twitter. Yet instead of leaning into the tension, he followed up with a surprising twist of humility and humor:

“(Guys, I like Jeff, I’m not actually mad, I would pick Aaron, Cal, and Vladdy over me too),” the A’s star clarified. Just like that, Rooker cracked the tension, acknowledging the sentiment behind the original post without turning it into a full-blown feud. It wasn’t backpedaling; it was awareness. The kind that feels more like a conversation than a clapback.

The response? Instant relief. Fans transitioned from taking sides to sharing laughs, with Rooker as he pointed out that not every social media moment needs to spiral into a conflict zone. In an event meant to highlight the talents of the league, he didn’t just perform well; he displayed courage, self-reflection, and a touch of humor, amidst commotion. 

Rooker didn’t just play the swing-off; he played the situation. And sometimes, that’s the tougher win.