Alex Call has publicly slammed Major League Baseball over risqué Novig commercials starring Sydney Sweeney that are airing during playoff broadcasts.
The Dodgers outfielder, 32, took to X early Wednesday to vent his frustration after spotting a viral post criticizing the ads. Call, who has been on Los Angeles’ active roster but has not appeared in a postseason game, wrote, “Can we please get the soft porn ads off playoff broadcasts, TBS, Fox, NBC, @MLB? My son wants to watch baseball with Dada, but how do I justify that when a half-naked women [sic] could come on screen anytime?? This is America’s Pastime. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about this.”
The post landed past midnight, hours before the Dodgers faced a must-win NLCS Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers. The timing drew some side-eye from fans who would have preferred the outfielder resting up rather than firing off social media commentary in the early morning hours.
Sweeney, the Emmy-nominated “Euphoria” and “White Lotus” star, has become a flashpoint in recent weeks over her provocative partnership with Novig, a prediction market platform. The campaign has generated heated debate across media circles about where the line falls between edgy advertising and content unsuitable for family viewing.
Call’s intervention places him among a growing chorus of voices objecting to the commercial’s placement during widely watched sporting events. His complaint centered specifically on the father-son dynamic of watching baseball together, framing the ads as an intrusion on what he characterized as a traditionally wholesome American ritual.
The outfielder is in his first season with the Dodgers after bouncing between the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals earlier in his career. He was not in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s contest at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where Los Angeles battled to keep its season alive down two games to none in the National League Championship Series.
The Novig spots featuring Sweeney have stirred controversy well beyond baseball circles. Former gymnast Gracie Kramer also lashed out at the campaign recently, building on a social media trend she had sparked advocating for women’s sports. The ads have likewise drawn comparisons to a separate racy MLB playoff commercial starring Megan Fox, creating a broader conversation about the tone of advertising surrounding the league’s showcase October games.
Call’s blunt “soft porn” characterization escalated the rhetoric around the issue, moving it from general discomfort to explicit condemnation. His tag of MLB’s official account alongside major broadcast partners TBS, Fox, and NBC indicated he saw the responsibility as shared across the networks carrying the games.
The outfielder’s misspelling of “women” in his post went unedited, and the triple-question mark punctuation underscored the agitation behind his message. He did not post any follow-up clarification after the initial comment drew attention.
The Dodgers would go on to face the Brewers in a critical Game 3 that could determine the trajectory of their postseason. Manager Dave Roberts had not indicated any plans to insert Call into the lineup as of first pitch.
The Sweeney-Novig partnership first generated widespread notice when the campaign debuted across digital and television platforms, with the actress appearing in revealing poses that critics found jarring in contexts like family sports programming. The prediction market, which operates in the sports betting space, leaned heavily into the attention-grabbing strategy as it sought brand recognition during a crowded fall advertising season.
MLB has not issued any public response to Call’s complaint, and the networks he named have remained silent on whether they will adjust ad rotations for remaining playoff broadcasts.
The Brewers hosted the Dodgers for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Milwaukee.