Current and former MLB All-Stars discuss Shohei Ohtani's impact on baseball
MLB All-Stars from the past and present discuss Shohei Ohtani's jaw-dropping play on the field.
The 2024 baseball season is in full swing. With the return of America's favorite pastime in late March, players have been thrown back into the spotlight.
Athletes aren't the only ones with eyes on them during the season, though. The wives and girlfriends of players are also at center stage.
While some MLB couples keep their relationships private, others put them on full display, with several wives and girlfriends, known as WAGs, sharing behind-the-scenes experiences with followers on social media.
Manny Machado and his wife Yainee Alonso met through her brother, who played in the majors. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Here are a few MLB wives you might see cheering on their husbands this baseball season.
- Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka
- Aaron Judge and Samantha Bracksieck
- Justin Verlander and Kate Upton
- Josh Smith and Claire Smith
- Mookie Betts and Brianna Hammonds
- Corey Seager and Madisyn Seager
- Cody Bellinger and Chase Carter
- Manny Machado and Yainee Alonso
- Dansby Swanson and Mallory Pugh
- Gerrit Cole and Amy Cole
- Austin Gomber and Rachel Gomber
- Bryce Harper and Kayla Harper
1. Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka
There has been quite a bit of buzz surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, Shohei Ohtani, since he signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the team in 2023, but his relationship has been kept more under wraps.
Ohtani first revealed he was married through his Instagram in February 2024 but did not reveal his wife's identity.
A couple of weeks later, they made their social media debut.
Ohtani is married to Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from Japan. She supports his career and attends games most often avoiding much exposure to paparazzi.
2. Aaron Judge and Samantha Bracksieck
The New York Yankees outfielder and wife Samantha Bracksieck are another MLB couple that keep their relationship fairly private. Though, fans can always find Bracksieck supporting her husband.
"Thank you to everybody, my wife, Samantha," Judge said during a press conference in December 2022. At the time, he had just signed a $360 million dollar contract with the Yankees, per People. He was joined by his wife on stage during the press conference, where he was named a team captain.
"[My wife and I] came to the decision that was in our hearts, which is we belong in New York, we belong in this city."
The two met when they were in high school and got married in December 2021.
Aaron Judge and Samantha Bracksieck keep their relationship offline. ( Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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3. Justin Verlander and Kate Upton
This MLB power couple has been married since 2017.
Kate Upton, a Sports Illustrated model, and Justin Verlander, a pitcher for the Houston Astros, first met in 2012 at a commercial shoot, according to People.
Since their dreamy Tuscany wedding, Verlander and Upton have expanded their family with the birth of their daughter, Genevieve, in November 2018.
Upton can often be spotted wearing custom Verlander attire throughout baseball seasons.
Justin Verlander and Kate Upton are one of the most popular MLB couples. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Footwear News via Getty Images)
4. Josh Smith and Claire Smith
If you want to see what being a MLB wife is like, Claire Smith's TikTok account has you covered. Smith often posts about her day-to-day life on social media.
On her TikTok, she posts "get ready with me" videos as she prepares for her husband's games.
The Texas Rangers' infielder, Josh Smith, married the social media influencer in January 2021.
5. Mookie Betts and Brianna Hammonds
Mookie Betts and Brianna Hammonds have been together since they were teens.
The two met in high school and welcomed their first child together in November 2018. The two got engaged in 2021 and were married in December that same year. They welcomed a second child in 2023.
Betts used to play for the Boston Red Sox and now plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mookie Betts and Brianna Hammonds were high school sweethearts. (Momodu Mansaray/WireImage)
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6. Corey Seager and Madisyn Seager
Madisyn Seager often posts content to social media about being an MLB wife to Texas Rangers' Corey Seager.
Seager has won the World Series twice with the Rangers, in 2020 and again in 2023. He is also a two-time World Series MVP.
They first met in high school but split for a time while they were dating at a distance, according to People.
The two found their way back to each other and got engaged in 2019. They were married the following year in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, according to the outlet.
7. Cody Bellinger and Chase Carter
Cody Bellinger, who plays for the Chicago Cubs, and model Chase Carter welcomed their first child together, Caiden Carter Bellinger, in 2021. In April 2023, they welcomed another daughter, Cy Carter Bellinger.
Cody Bellinger and Chase Carter got engaged in June 2023. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
In June 2023, Bellinger proposed to Carter. The two never publicly announced their marriage, but Carter did change her last name on Instagram to Bellinger, and on Dec. 2, 2023, she posted a photo in which they each have wedding bands on their left hands, subtly announcing their marriage.
The MLB wife is very active on Instagram, where she posts photos of her vacations, kids and, of course, baseball games.
8. Manny Machado and Yainee Alonso
Yainee Alonso has lots of connections in the majors.
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Yainee Alonso met her husband, Manny Machado, through her brother, Yonder Alonso, who is a former MLB first baseman.
She and the San Diego Padres third baseman, Machado, started dating in 2011 and were married in December 2014.
9. Dansby Swanson and Mallory Pugh
One thing Dansby Swanson and Mallory Pugh have in common is sports.
Swanson is a shortstop for the Atlanta Braves, while Pugh is a member of the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League and the United States women's national soccer team.
The pair wed in December 2022.
Beyond playing sports, Swanson is the host of "The Express Podcast," which often features star guest interviews. Pugh was a guest in March 2023, where she talked about being a professional soccer player. The couple also spoke more about their relationship.
10. Gerrit Cole and Amy Cole
Gerrit Cole, a pitcher for the New York Yankees, and his wife Amy Cole have been married since 2016.
They met when they were both student athletes at UCLA.
Their son, Caden Gerrit Cole, was born in June 2020. They welcomed another son, Everett Cole, in January 2023.
Amy Cole and Gerrit Cole were both athletes in college. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
11. Austin Gomber and Rachel Gomber
Rachel Gomber is a social media influencer who often shares her life with social media followers.
She is married to Colorado Rockies pitcher Austin Gomber. The two welcomed a son, Beckham in June 2019 and got married in December of that year. Their second son, Charlie, was born in August 2021.
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The two are expecting a third baby in 2024.
She often shares family content, and also posts her outfits and "day in the life" videos, taking social media followers through game days.
12. Bryce Harper and Kayla Harper
Bryce and Kayla Harper met when they were just two young teens. The pair was married in December 2016.
The couple share two kids, Krew and Brooklyn, and have a third child on the way.
Bryce spoke of the loving support he receives from his wife and kids during a 2022 interview with a Los Angeles radio station.
"I have an amazing family, I have an amazing wife, two beautiful kids that keep me very humbled and grounded," he said per The Knot. "When I leave the field, it's all about them."
"My wife takes care of the kids at home. She does a great job at that. She supports me each night, goes to every single game she can…I'm humbled to have a wife and a family like that," he continued.
Harper plays for the Philadelphia Phillies.
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