The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off the season in Japan, but the narrative that the defending champions are ruining baseball has not yielded.

Kirby Yates, who was one of the final stars acquired by the Dodgers this winter, made it clear the team is not concerned with the narrative.

“I don’t think anybody in the clubhouse cares… haters are going to hate, right?” he said.

Some baseball fans have even gone as far to say the Dodgers are the Evil Empire of baseball, but players have continued to dismiss the grumblings from angry fans.

“I don’t look at us as villains,” said Blake Snell. “I look at us as a team that wants to win. If any other teams or fan bases want to get upset, you know what to do: Follow what the Dodgers are doing.”

Dodgers president Stan Kasten perhaps explained it best when he shared why the defending champions are not ruining baseball, but rather, are improving the game.

“And, on the entertainment side, which is what we are, it’s really good when there is one team beloved by their fans, who come out in record numbers, leading all of baseball in attendance, while that same team can be hated and lead baseball in road attendance. That’s a win-win for baseball,” Kasten said.

“And this is also really contributing to the enhanced globalization of central baseball around the world. So it’s a win-win-win. This is really good for baseball. I have no question about it.”

Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images