2018 La Vida Awards: Best Instagram Follow
By Tab Bamford
Personality is everything. From bat flips to bat licks and Players’ Weekend jersey nicknames, baseball players have brought some of their true selves onto the field, while their real real lives are often on full display via Instagram. The platform has become a window into the lives of players, whether they’re shoe shopping, in the broadcast booth, cooking dinner, at the gym or making a baby announcement.
This list was tough to narrow down, but here are our picks for the best Instagram follows in 2018.
Honorable Mention – Retired Player Category
David Ortiz
Big Papi’s Instagram feed should be the envy of everyone. Some days he’s reminding everyone that he’s a World Series champion, other days he’s on display as a cigar lover or world traveler. In the same week, you may find him hanging out with billionaires and exotic animals with an always-on–point style game.
Honorable Mention
Pedro Strop
Strop’s feed is a wonderful, personal mix of family photos and videos, “professional” shots of him on the field and high fashion. The guy loves his clothes and sunglasses and barbers are his best friend. If he—or a teammate—is getting their fade right, you’ll know about it.
More La Vida Awards
Honorable Mention
Johnny Cueto
Come for the rehab and stay for the hats featuring a cartoon of… Johnny Cueto wearing a hat. Cueto loves good food, and you’ll see a lot of it here. He’s working his tail off to come back from his surgery and you’ll be blown away by his workout regimen. But the biggest takeaway here is that Cueto loves being behind the grill.
Winner
Yasiel Puig
If anyone can rival Big Papi for living his best life, it’s Puig. From busting his teammates’ chops to enjoying music, a good cigar, a shopping spree or time with family, Puig does it all—and brings you with him. But it just about fun with Puig. He also uses his platform to raise awareness about the work of his foundation in Los Angeles and Cuba. His Dodgers may have come up short in the World Series the last two years, but on Instagram he’s a champion.
Featured Image: La Vida Baseball
2018 La Vida Awards
- Promotion of the Year
- Best Ballpark Food
- Best Player / Singer
- Who Won Players’ Weekend
- Best Dressed
- Best Celebrity Super Fan
- Best Altuve Facial Expression
- Quote of the Year
- Best Instagram Follow
- Best BFFs
- Best Hair
- Moment of the Year
