The Dodgers’ 2025 World Series win has set off a wave of celebration and plenty of debate. With their championship parade in Los Angeles still to come, fans are gearing up for more unforgettable moments. But it’s not all cheers across the baseball world. Reportedly, many are once again calling for a salary cap, arguing that the Dodgers essentially bought their championship.

Moreover, accusations of MLB favoritism toward L.A. haven’t quieted down either. And now, just to stir things up even more, MLB’s latest tribute to the Dodgers, featuring Shohei Ohtani’s dog decoy, has managed to hit a nerve at exactly the wrong time.

“Decoy went b̶a̶c̶k̶-̶t̶o̶-̶b̶a̶c̶k̶ bark-to-bark!” MLB’s post via X shows how Decoy is also a 2x World Series champion.

Anything wrong in the post? Apparently not, but for a few fans, it’s enough for a meltdown!!!

Well, allegations against MLB for bias towards the Dodgers are nothing new. Fans have long accused MLB of showing favoritism toward the Dodgers. It’s almost become a running theme: every time Los Angeles makes a deep postseason run or gets a close call, critics claim the league is tilting the field in their favor. And there are a few reasons behind it…

The league often puts Dodgers players front and center in promotional materials, commercials, and international campaigns, especially stars like Ohtani and Betts. Hence, to some, it feels like MLB is actively pushing the Dodgers as the face of baseball.

It is undeniable that the Dodgers enjoy one of the biggest and most loyal fan bases globally. Especially in the US and Japan, the Dodgers steer the maximum marketing for MLB. But this time, MLB’s tribute to Ohtani’s dog is what has fans wondering what’s next.

For fans, it does not suit MLB to post a tribute to a player’s pet on its official handle.

Make no mistake…. Decoy is more than just a pet in the Dodgers’ world. A quick look at MLB.com shows entire articles dedicated to Shohei Ohtani’s beloved dog. The Dodgers even held a wildly popular bobblehead night featuring both Ohtani and Decoy, with fans lining up for hours to get one.

Hence, whether it’s championship celebrations or team milestones, Decoy’s always part of the moment, sporting his own blue-and-white Dodgers jersey. MLB clearly tried to tap into that fan favorite appeal. But in doing so, they might’ve unintentionally poured fuel on the ongoing debate about the league’s supposed favoritism toward the Dodgers.

Fans are calling out MLB for being biased towards the Dodgers

How many more posts will be bombarded by MLB citing the Dodgers’ win? The Fans wonder. “I’ve never hated a dog before, but here we are. Ippei Mizuhara is innocent,” one fan said. “New level of glazing unlocked at MLB,” added another. So, for the fans, MLB’s bombardment of Dodgers posts on their social media handles shows its strategy to milk the Dodgers’ huge fanbase. It’s nothing but flattering the Dodgers. Moreover, the fans are wondering how the World Series win is related to paying tribute to Ohtani’s pet.

“God, I wish we could see the timeline of this account if the Blue Jays won. Account would probably be so quiet,” one fan is skeptical, whether the same would have happened had the Blue Jays won the World Series. “Y’all have officially gone too far with this,” added another.

Well, check MLB’s X handle after the conclusion of the World Series, and you’ll know how the majority of the posts are about the Dodgers. However, the fans’ accusation that MLB might not have done the same had the Jays won the ring could be countered. If you remember, just before the series decider of the ALCS, MLB’s post about the Jays pissed off the fans. At that time, the league was accused of bias towards the Jays. “The slobbering this account does over the Dodgers is disgusting.” Fans can’t just keep calm.

Nevertheless, we think MLB’s objective was to share a funny take about how Decoy is also a part of the Dodgers’ consecutive World Series journey. But it just amplified a long-overdue debate featuring the Dodgers.