FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 16, 2026
Contact: Chris Stone, Founder, FDC
Chris@faithdrivenconsumer.com
FDC ANNOUNCES “STAND WITH LANDEN ROUPP” PETITION AFTER MLB WARNS GIANTS PITCHERS FOR WRITING BIBLE VERSES ON PRIDE NIGHT CAPS
FDC says Christian athletes should not be warned or punished for peaceful faith expression during Pride Month
RALEIGH, N.C.—FDC today announced its “Stand with Landen Roupp” petition campaign after Major League Baseball warned San Francisco Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker for writing Genesis 9:12–16 on their Pride Night caps.
During the Giants’ Pride Night game, the pitchers appeared with Bible verse references written on their caps. Roupp later said the passage reflects God’s covenant, faithfulness, and mercy and that his action was an expression of Christian faith. MLB reportedly warned the players that writing on their caps violated league rules and would not be permitted in the future.
FDC says the warning raises a key question: Should MLB punish Christian players for writing Bible verses on their hats after they are expected to wear league-approved Pride messaging?
FDC believes the answer is no.
“This is not a story about exclusion,” said Chris Stone, Founder, Faith Driven Consumer. “These players did not attack anyone. They expressed conscience and Scripture. MLB should not treat that as a punishable offense.”
The new campaign follows FDC’s previous efforts involving faith-driven athletes, including MLB pitcher Trevor Williams and NBA guard Jaden Ivey, where FDC raised concerns that Christian conviction is too often treated as controversial, risky, or professionally costly when it becomes visible in moments of cultural tension.
FDC notes that visible Christian expression remains common across major sports, from MLB players writing Scripture on caps to NBA, NHL, and soccer athletes publicly giving glory to God, praying together, and sharing Christian testimony. “These moments are not isolated,” Stone said. “Christian athletes are everywhere. The question is whether leagues will welcome that faith openly or only tolerate it quietly.”
FDC says the MLB warning is notable because players have long used hats, gloves, cleats, and other equipment to honor loved ones, support causes, and communicate personal messages. “MLB should clarify whether its rules are being enforced equally across all messages, causes, tributes, symbols, and viewpoints,” Stone said. “A Bible verse should not become a disciplinary issue simply because it appears during Pride Night.”
FDC argues that while leagues actively promote Pride Month through events, merchandise, partnerships, and public messaging, Christian fans and athletes do not receive comparable institutional recognition. “Pride Month demonstrates that major sports leagues know how to welcome a community with clarity,” Stone said. “FDC is asking them to extend that same welcome to Christians.”
Christian fans support major sports with their tickets, subscriptions, merchandise purchases, media attention, and loyalty. Christian athletes across major sports openly express faith in God, Jesus Christ, prayer, Scripture, baptism, team chapel, Christian ministry, and personal testimony. Yet there is no comparable league-wide effort affirming Christian identity and participation. “That disparity is the issue,” Stone said. “A player thanking God after a win is not the same as a public assurance from the league that Christian identity belongs in sports culture.”
FDC says the warning to Roupp, Brubaker, and Walker brings that concern directly before MLB: Are Christian athletes truly welcome when their faith becomes visible in a moment that matters?
FDC’s “Stand with Landen Roupp” campaign calls on MLB to:
Withdraw any threat of punishment against players who peacefully express Christian faith
Clarify whether uniform-writing rules are enforced equally across viewpoints and causes.
Explain why Genesis 9 on a Pride Night cap triggered a warning when other player-added messages have often been accepted.
Affirm that Christian players are free to express their faith as part of the diversity of sports culture.
Protect voluntary religious expression and conscience for players, coaches, staff, and fans.Publicly affirm that Christian fans and athletes belong in major sports with the same clarity used to welcome other communities.
FDC says the campaign’s message is simple: Add-Us-In.
“If MLB can celebrate Pride Night, it can also respect Christian conscience,” Stone said. “If MLB can welcome one community with clarity, it can welcome Christian fans and athletes with the same clarity.”
FDC is asking fans across the country to stand with Landen Roupp, stand with Christian athletes, and call on MLB and other major sports leagues to Add-Us-In.
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About Faith Driven Consumer:
Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) is a national movement focused on the intersection of faith, culture, and everyday life. FDC equips Christ-followers to live their faith openly and works with institutions across the marketplace, workplace and public culture to recognize and respond to faith-driven consumers with equal respect, equal access and equal standing.
Media Contact:
Chris Stone
Faith Driven Consumer
Chris@faithdrivenconsumer.comChris@faithdrivenconsumer.com
Chris Stone is founder and spokesperson of Faith Driven Consumer. A certified brand strategist with decades of experience in the business sector, Stone founded FDC from the conviction that faith should not be confined to private life, but lived openly in everyday decisions. He has spent years helping define and bring visibility to Faith Driven Consumers as a distinct, values-driven community. His prior work includes national faith-audience engagement, campaigns such as #IStandWithPhil, faith-focused research and tools, and foundational initiatives including the Faith Equality Index.
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