WFAN radio host Brandon Tierney ignited controversy recently by publicly questioning the age of New York Mets star Juan Soto, despite no credible evidence to support his claims. Soto, born on October 25, 1998, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is currently 26 years old according to MLB.com. Tierney’s on-air skepticism emerged amid Soto’s challenging first season under a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, raising concerns within the sports community.
During the broadcast, Tierney asked,
“Does he look 26? When you’re 26, you still have a youthful glow. Does he look 26?”
and later insisted,
“I think there’s a good chance he’s not 26, I’ll say it.”
This unsupported conjecture, aired without any proof, triggered backlash as it perpetuated a damaging stereotype about Latin American baseball players.
Pushback from Co-host and Broader Context on Age Verification
Co-host Sal Licata challenged Tierney’s speculation, pointing out the lack of evidence behind the claims. Despite this, Tierney admitted,
“Okay. I can’t prove it. While I don’t know for sure… I think there’s a good chance he’s not 26, I’ll say it.”
This admission highlighted the baseless nature of Tierney’s comments but did little to quell the controversy.
The discussion referenced similar accusations previously made about former player Albert Pujols. David Samson, former president of the Miami Marlins, stated in 2021 on The Dan Le Batard Show that many in baseball doubted Pujols’s reported birthdate of January 16, 1980. Samson remarked,
“There is not one person in baseball, not one executive, who believes Albert Pujols is the age that he says he is,”
and described widespread age and identity fraud in the Dominican Republic’s baseball system during earlier decades as
“amount of fraud that was going on in the Dominican back in the day, the changing of names, the changing of birthdays, it would blow your mind.”
Pujols retired in 2022.
MLB’s Efforts to Address Identity and Age Fraud Among International Players
Questioning players’ ages is not a new issue in baseball; however, Major League Baseball has taken steps to tackle fraud and misrepresentation. Since more than ten years ago, MLB created the Age and Identity Investigation department, which conducts background checks on international amateur prospects. A January 2024 report from The Athletic detailed ongoing challenges with age and identity fraud among Dominican players, but also emphasized the league’s commitment to thorough investigations.
In fact, a recent case was reported in November 2024 when a teenage Dominican prospect who had committed to the San Diego Padres was found to have falsified documents to appear five years younger than his actual age. This discovery underscores MLB’s vigilance in verifying players’ backgrounds.
Why Speculation About Juan Soto’s Age Is Misplaced
Juan Soto has been a recognized MLB player since his rookie season with the Washington Nationals in 2018. Teams that have invested heavily in him, including the Nationals, Padres, Yankees, and currently the Mets, would have conducted rigorous due diligence on his age and identity before signing him to major contracts. These organizations, with extensive resources and access to media, would likely have flagged any discrepancies by now.
No other reporters or executives have supported Tierney’s claims, making his voice an outlier amid an industry where accuracy is paramount. The ecosystem around Soto has shown no indication that his documented birthdate is inaccurate, strongly suggesting Tierney’s speculation lacks merit.
The Role and Responsibility of Sports Talk Media in Reporting
Sports talk radio, unlike traditional newspapers or broadcast outlets, often blends entertainment with commentary and can operate within looser journalistic boundaries. Still, ethical reporting demands fairness and factual integrity, especially when public figures are involved.
While sports information evolves over time, the current publicly available facts about Juan Soto do not support Tierney’s accusations. The widespread criticism of Tierney’s unfounded comments highlights the media’s responsibility to avoid harmful stereotypes and to respect verified player information.
As the MLB and its teams continue monitoring players carefully, the focus remains on Soto’s performance and career rather than baseless personal attacks.