Fri Aug 01 18:40:00 UTC 2025: **MLB Insider Jeff Passan and Former Player Doug Mientkiewicz Engage in Heated Twitter Exchange**
**NEW YORK, NY** – The MLB trade deadline is known for blockbuster deals and the rapid-fire reporting of trusted insiders. This year, however, the deadline also sparked a surprising Twitter feud between ESPN’s Jeff Passan, arguably the most influential voice in baseball news, and former MLB first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.
The controversy ignited when Passan reported on a potential Yankees-Pirates trade, including a scouting report on the players heading to Pittsburgh. Mientkiewicz took issue with Passan’s assessment of Single-A prospect Edgleen Perez, specifically the description of “excellent swing decisions,” given Perez’s unimpressive .241 career batting average.
“Man what a time to be alive when a non baseball person writes ‘excellent swing decisions’ for a guy hitting .209 in A ball and is a career .241 hitter,” Mientkiewicz tweeted. “I swear some scouts and writers will say anything to sound somewhat intelligent to non baseball people.”
Passan quickly defended himself, clarifying that the scouting report came from an actual scout and not his own analysis. He then fired back at Mientkiewicz, suggesting the former player’s criticism stemmed from an overreliance on batting average as a metric for player evaluation.
“That description came from a scout, Doug,” Passan retorted. “Do you hate them, too, or are you just bitter because batting average is no longer the metric people care about and it’s the only one you were ever good at? Stay bitter, guy.”
Passan’s pointed response highlighted Mientkiewicz’s career slash line of .271/.360/.405, suggesting he may be overqualified to be commenting on baseball. While Mientkiewicz’s experience on the field is undeniable, Passan’s supporters argued that his extensive network of sources and understanding of modern baseball analytics provide valuable insights.
The exchange quickly gained traction on social media, dividing fans and analysts alike. While some sided with Mientkiewicz’s perspective that former players possess unique insight into talent evaluation, others supported Passan’s access to data and scouting reports.
Regardless of who “won” the online spat, the incident highlighted the growing tension between traditional baseball perspectives and the increasing influence of data-driven analysis in player evaluation. Whether you support the insider or the former MLB player, this will be an MLB interaction that will be remembered.
First Piper 