The MLB has a big problem when it comes to players off the field. Players like Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are getting caught gambling. But the other major problem is players getting caught doping and getting long suspensions. But Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas might have a solution to make sure that players don’t repeat the same mistake.

In a recent interview, the $2.25 million pitcher was asked what he would do if he were the commissioner. He said, “Maybe tougher penalties on the PED guys… make them wear a different color hat or put a patch on their jersey.”

Baseball fans have seen a sudden rise in the number of PED cases in the past few years. Since 2024, MLB has had 7 doping cases that have involved high-profile players. The league imposed an 80-game ban on Noelvi Marte after he tested positive for Boldenone at the start of the 2024 season. This took away his rookie year before it could even begin.

In June 2024, Orelvis Martínez received his 80-game ban after testing positive for Clomiphene just days after his MLB debut. What was supposed to be an enjoyable time after he got his first major league hit turned into a horror show. Then came 2025.

2025 saw 2 major players get suspended for 80 games. One was José Alvarado of the Phillies, and the other was Jurickson Profar of the Braves. Alvarado was caught doping mid-season and tested positive for exogenous testosterone. This not only cost him 80 games, but he also lost his eligibility to play for the Phillies in the postseason in 2025.

This was a big miss because the Phillies missed out by an inch to make the NLCS after losing to the Dodgers. The question that most fans will ask Alvarado is if he hadn’t gotten suspended, the Phillies could have gone all the way.

Then, in 2026, Johan Rojas was 80 games after testing positive for Boldenone. This not only led to his suspension for 80 games in the MLB but also cost him the chance to play for his nation in the World Baseball Classic. And the last is of Jurickson Profar.

Jurickson Profar will be a case study of how a player can make the same mistake twice, even when the consequences are severe. In 2025, Jurickson Profar was found to be doping and tested positive for hCG substance. This meant that he would have to serve an 80-game ban and then return to the Braves. He lost the ability to play in postseason games and lost $5.8 million of his 2025 salary.

Profar tested positive again in 2026 for exogenous testosterone. But this time the ban is more severe. Profar will not only miss the postseason games but will also miss the full season and will lose the full amount of salary that the team was supposed to pay him in 2026.

Although there was an appeal by Profar, the appeal did not stand. When it came to Profar, Mikolas said that the MLBPA should not defend Profar, and if he wants to defend himself, he can do it.

When Marte’s ban unfolded, the Reds suddenly lost a key part of their infield plans before the season even began. The Phillies saw Alvarado disappear just as the team was about to hit the postseason. And they have lost Rojas just before an important season, where they just let Nick Castellanos go.

Profar’s case is just disappointing and will hurt the Braves. Because with Acuna coming back to full fitness, they could have used Profar to make the push for the postseason. But maybe players do need a constant reminder of the consequences of getting caught doping. And maybe we will start seeing different behaviours from top players.

We should talk about PEDs in MLB

MLB has a clear drug‑testing program that punishes players who test positive for banned substances.

For the first strike, an 80‑game suspension and a full 162‑game ban for a second. Since 2025, we’ve seen multiple players like Max Kepler and Jurickson Profar fail tests for substances such as epitrenbolone and exogenous testosterone. These suspensions show that MLB’s rules are real, serious, and meant to protect fair play and the sport’s integrity.

When players take PEDs, they risk everything for uncertain gain, and recent history proves it isn’t worth the gamble.

They banned Kepler before he could sign a new contract, even after he hit just .216 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 2025. This shows that PEDs don’t guarantee better results.

Still, the testing system has gaps that let players get caught only after problems arise instead of before.

MLB tests randomly year‑round, but fans and experts point out that more frequent tests could discourage abuse before it happens. With every suspension publicized, from Kepler to Profar, the message becomes clear: the numbers show the risk outweighs the reward. And the game suffers when players choose shortcuts.