Suddenly, it is time for the World Series again. The beautiful Mets are unfortunately not playing in it, but two other teams are: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. I’m sure you already know all the players on those teams, so let’s skip to the important information: Who are their wives and girlfriends?
The MLB has few true celebrity WAGs right now, especially since Derek Jeter retired (during his time as a Yankee, he dated Mariah Carey, Jordana Brewster, Vanessa Lachey, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Biel in the same year; Minka Kelly; and his now-wife, Hannah). But like Brittany Mahomes in the NFL and Savannah James in the NBA, plenty of non-famous MLB wives and girlfriends have made names for themselves in the stands. Here’s who to look out for during Game 1 tonight.
The Dodgers WAGs
Mamiko Tanaka, married to pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani
The most mysterious woman in the MLB stands this season has been Tanaka — a 27-year-old former Japanese pro-basketball player who somewhat secretly married Ohtani this February. Ohtani first announced their marriage without revealing Tanaka’s identity, but she has since been seen with him at various events (like a Dodgers Foundation gala with Ed Sheeran) and even popped up on the field after the Dodgers won their division last month. She seems nice, and I’d love to know one million more facts about her.
Brianna Betts, married to outfielder and shortstop Mookie Betts
Brianna, 30, and Mookie have been together since high school, and she often posts from the field on Instagram. The couple got engaged in Nashville in 2021, and the proposal was exclusively covered by People. When they got married in California later that year, Nelly performed at the reception. They now have two children, Kynlee and Kaj. And Brianna appears to be launching some kind of health-drink company. Sure, why not!
Chelsea Freeman, married to first baseman Freddie Freeman
Chelsea, 33, has over 300,000 followers on Instagram, making her one of the MLB’s top influencer WAGs (she recently promoted Dodgers-themed Barefoot Dreams blankets and has her own fan clothing line called the Chelsea Freeman Collection). Chelsea and Freddie have been married for nearly ten years and share three sons: Charlie, Brandon, and Max. She appears to be taking her appearances at games seriously; she posted on her Instagram Story this week that she was doing “World Series fittings.”
The Yankees WAGs
Samantha Bracksieck, married to center fielder Aaron Judge
Bracksieck is married to one of the biggest stars in the league, but she personally retains a low profile. She doesn’t even post publicly on Instagram, which makes fans even more curious about her. Here’s what we know: She went to high school with Judge in Linden, California; got her master’s in kinesiology from Fresno State; and married Judge in a private ceremony in Maui in 2021. She has also run the New York Marathon for the last two years — TBD if she will return this year, as the marathon falls the day after Game 7 of the World Series.
Amy Cole, married to pitcher Gerrit Cole
Amy, 35, is another athlete turned WAG: She met Gerrit when she was playing softball at UCLA and he was playing baseball. According to People, she was part of the Women’s College World Series–winning team in 2010. Amy and Gerrit got married in Santa Barbara in 2016 and now share two sons, Caden and Everett. She often posts from behind the dugout on Instagram and recently shared a photo of herself with over a dozen other Yankees WAGs getting ready for the World Series.
Ashley Rodón, married to pitcher Carlos Rodón
Ashley has been married to Carlos since 2018, and the couple has three children together: Willow, Bo, and Silo. She recently revealed on a baseball podcast that this season has been the most fun so far because of her friendship with Amy Cole. “Gerrit Cole’s wife, Amy, has probably become one of my best friends on the team, just because, naturally, you know how it is, like ‘pitcher’s wives,’” she said. Ashley and Amy have a lot in common, actually, as both of their husbands have nine-figure contracts with the Yankees. That does sound fun!