Xavier Scruggs Roots for Player Who Eliminated Him on 'The Traitors'

Xavier Scruggs, a former Major League Baseball player and current MLB Network analyst, has revealed that he is rooting for Katie Fites, the contestant responsible for his early exit from the reality competition series 'The Traitors: New Blood.' Despite being murdered by the Traitors as a consequence of Fites being recruited over him, Scruggs stated he harbors no ill will towards her.

"Once I was murdered, I was pretty much like, ‘I hope Katie wins, because if I’m going down, I want it to be against the one that ends up winning it all,'" Scruggs told Decider in a post-elimination interview. He clarified that his frustration was directed at the Traitors for what he perceived as a poor strategic decision at the time, rather than at Fites.

Scruggs, who was eliminated in episodes 3 and 4 of the Peacock series, believed he would have been a strong asset to the Traitors. He explained that he had cultivated relationships with a majority of the contestants in the castle, which he felt would have given him an advantage in the game. He emphasized his approach of connecting with diverse groups of players, rather than gravitating towards a single clique.

"I felt close to a lot of different people, more than half of those people in the castle," Scruggs said. "I tried to spend time even off camera making sure I connected with different people."

He also discussed his own strategic moves within the game, including suggesting Fites' name to fellow player Logan. Scruggs explained this as a strategic maneuver to potentially create suspicion around Fites and position himself for advancement, or to signal to the actual Traitors his willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed in the game.

Looking ahead, Scruggs identified Michael and Abby Lee as potential contenders to win as Faithfuls, noting Lee's strategic approach and intelligence, even before her profession as an astrophysicist was revealed.

When asked about potential contestants from his professional sports background, Scruggs suggested former NFL player Steven Means, citing his experience in strategic games within his social circles.

The first four episodes of 'The Traitors: New Blood' are currently available for streaming on Peacock, with new episodes released weekly.