MLB Stars as Taylor Swift Eras

While Taylor Swift has been in the news recently about football, there is no reason why we cannot look at her music about other sports. With football taking the spotlight, I wanted to highlight two of my favorite things at the same time: Taylor Swift and baseball. Here are some of the biggest MLB stars compared to Taylor Swift Eras. 

Debut – Adley Rutschman

Photo Credits: Greg Fiume / Getty Images 

The Debut era started it all for Taylor Swift. This was the album that put her on the map as a country music star at such a young age. Although this past season was only his second in the league, Adley Rutschman has already solidified himself as one of MLB’s best (if not the best) catchers. While he has not yet had his true breakout season to put him in the Fearless era, he has burst on the scene as a star to keep an eye on in his later seasons.

Fearless – Ronald Acuña Jr

Photo Credits: Amber Searls / USA Today Sports

The Fearless era is defined by growth, change, awards, and, above all, being fearless. Ronald Acuña Jr, arguably one of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball today, added to his award total in 2023 with the National League MVP award. While his early seasons in Atlanta were nothing short of impressive, this year he truly grew into the player he is and defined his year when he became a part of the 40/40 club with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. Fearless was the era that was the turning point in Taylor Swift’s career, and 2023 might be the pivotal turning point in Acuña Jr’s career as well.   

Speak Now – Mike Trout 

Photo Credits: Mike Blinch / Getty Images

The Speak Now era is notorious for being about teenage heartbreak, but at the same time, it is an era about coming back into your own after hard circumstances. For years, Mike Trout was considered the best player in baseball, with many going as far as to say he was the greatest of all time. After several years when Trout dealt with many injuries, his status seemed to fall in the eyes of casual fans. Without the presence of Shohei Ohtani on the 2024 Angels roster, Trout will have to return to his former self if Anaheim is going to have a chance at the playoffs. If Trout enters his Speak Now era, he will hope to find himself after several seasons of missed games and be better than ever in his age-32 season.

Red – Trea Turner

Photo Credits: Matt Slocum / Associated Press

The Red era is one of the hardest to define. It’s filled with love, heartbreak, chaos, and finding yourself in the end. Trea Turner had one of his toughest seasons in his first year with the Phillies, leading the fans to support him in the tough times and completely turn his season around. While Philadelphia fans are notorious for being one of the toughest fanbases, their support while Turner struggled was the pivotal moment in his season, and after that, his stats soared. 2023 might be a year that Turner wants to forget, but in the end, it is clear he was able to find himself amidst the Philly chaos, like the way Taylor Swift was able to find herself and live after the heartbreak displayed in Red.

1989 – Aaron Judge

Photo Credits: Texas Rangers / Getty Images

The 1989 era was the era that made Taylor Swift mainstream and marked the rebirth of her music career. Throughout his early career, many told Aaron Judge to pursue other sports due to his height, but as soon as he made it to the Yankees, he showed scouts why he was meant to play baseball. Even in 2022, he was doubted by his team, leading him to bet on himself. This bet paid off for him, as he set the American League home run record and received a massive contract from the Yankees. 1989 is also known as an album about New York, so it completely fits the aesthetic of the "king of New York," as his walkout song proclaims.

Reputation – Fernando Tatis Jr.

Photo Credits: Nick Wass / Associated Press 

The Reputation era was the era that completely changed Taylor Swift’s career. It was the time when she had to pick herself up after her reputation was nearly shattered. When MLB caught Fernando Tatis Jr. taking steroids to recover from injury in 2022, his reputation in major league baseball was tainted despite being one of baseball's most prominent young stars. After losing a few stars to free agency and Juan Soto in his trade to the Yankees, the Padres might hope Tatis Jr. is on track to restore his reputation in 2024. 

Lover – Yordan Alvarez 

Photo Credits: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

The Lover era is defined by some of the greatest ups and downs of life and the perfect union between two people. In this case, the perfect union between a person and a business, because Yordan Alvarez is the perfect fit for the Houston Astros. With a veteran team facing the accusations of the 2017 cheating scandal, the Astros needed a young player to boost their squad. Each year, Alvarez finds a way to one-up his stats and grow as a player. With the Lover era showcasing self-love and identity, there is no one better than Alvarez to show growth, especially with how young and experienced he is.  

Folklore/Evermore – Gerrit Cole  

Photo Credits: John Minchillo / Associated Press

The Folklore and Evermore era was born out of the quiet yet became two of Taylor Swift’s biggest albums to date. The 2023 season for Gerrit Cole was unforgettable; however, it was born out of extreme criticism of his prior seasons. Opposing teams still taunted Cole for his use of sticky stuff, and many fans of other teams wondered whether the pitcher could pitch without any other substances. In short, many wondered if Cole could win without cheating. He proved himself this past season, winning the AL Cy Young award after his best year to date. While the Yankees were not very competitive in the AL East, Cole was a shining star, just like how Folklore and Evermore were the shining stars and the highlight of many fans’ 2020 quarantine. 

Midnights – Shohei Ohtani  

 Photo Credits: Kiyoshi Mio / USA Today Sports

The Midnights era has been Taylor Swift’s biggest era to date and marked a new, mature version of herself that had not been seen in any of her earlier works. Shohei Ohtani is the biggest star in Major League Baseball right now, bringing in fans from all over the world to watch him pitch and DH. Ohtani embodies the Midnights era in terms of popularity and has the chance to become NL MVP every year, just as Midnights has the opportunity to completely sweep the Grammys this award season. With Ohtani signing the biggest contract baseball has ever seen, he is also growing into a new mature version of himself and will hopefully continue his excellence with the Dodgers.

Edited By: Sarah Muñoz 

Social Media Content Created By: Jenna Rose Weisenbach