Yankees Exploit Pitch Tipping in Blue Jays Win, Reigniting MLB Debate on Gamesmanship

The Hidden Crisis of Pitch Tipping in MLB: Yankees Exploit Scherzer

The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday after capitalizing on Max Scherzer's pitch tipping, specifically his changeup. This incident has brought renewed attention to the controversial practice of pitch tipping in Major League Baseball (MLB), raising questions about gamesmanship versus cheating.

Yankees Exploit Scherzer's Tell

Ben Rice hit a three-run homer off Scherzer after the Yankees picked up on a tell related to his changeup. Cody Bellinger, positioned at first base, signaled to Aaron Judge at second base when a changeup was coming, and Judge relayed the signal to Rice. Scherzer admitted this was a known issue that he thought he had addressed, but the Yankees were able to exploit it. The hit was crucial, helping the Yankees clinch a 4-3 victory.

MLB cracked down on sign-stealing after the Houston Astros scandal in 2017. Measures included banning players from video replay rooms and introducing PitchCom. This has effectively eliminated the use of hand signals, but pitch tipping continues to be a gray area.

Scherzer commented, "That's part of the game. It's 2025. Everybody knows it, we live it, that's just part of the game." However, the increasing prevalence of pitch tipping has some questioning the unwritten rules and ethics of the sport. Ty France, the Blue Jays first baseman, acknowledged the Yankees' tactics stating that Bellinger's arm movements were obvious indicators.

Pitch Tipping Explained

Pitch tipping involves identifying subtle cues a pitcher gives before delivering a specific pitch. These cues can include routines, glove movements, or, as in Scherzer's case, how he holds the ball in his glove. This differs from sign-stealing, which typically involves decoding catcher's signs using technology or other illicit means.

David Singh of Sportsnet quoted Scherzer: "That's something we're aware of. You can get my changeup out of my glove from first base...I thought I had addressed it, thought I had made the proper adjustment to get my glove in front of my face. But, clearly, I hadn't."

The Dilemma of Gamesmanship vs. Cheating

The line between gamesmanship and cheating in MLB is becoming increasingly blurred. While exploiting a pitcher's tell is not technically against the rules, some argue it violates the spirit of the game. The Red Sox were recently suspected of using tablets to gain an advantage against Suarez, which highlights the escalating tensions surrounding this issue.

Recent incidents include situations involving Aaron Judge vs. Jay Jackson and Josh Rojas vs. Clarke Schmidt. A situation between the Mariners and Blue Jays involving Berríos and Cal Raleigh resulted in benches clearing. Raleigh stated he would want his pitchers doing the same thing. This illustrates the disagreement between players on this issue.

Potential Solutions and Challenges

Addressing pitch tipping is challenging. Making it illegal for batters to communicate tipped pitches would be difficult to enforce. Allowing teams to file formal complaints could lead to accusations spiraling out of control. It would be hard to determine if players relaying pitches are just stretching, or truly signaling.

A.J. Pierzynski and Erik Kratz of Foul Territory suggested that in the past, baseball would have policed itself. Pierzynski said, "This is when baseball used to be able to police itself...Now it's like little league." They imply that pitchers might have intentionally hit batters as retribution. This would be dangerous, given the high speeds at which players can throw.

The most practical solution is for pitchers to avoid tipping their pitches in the first place. Ultimately, it's the pitcher's responsibility to protect their tells, just as a poker player must guard their expressions. Scherzer continued to throw changeups after his tipping was recognized.

The Yankees' Perspective

Blue Jays manager John Schneider stated that "the whole (league) knows the Yankees are good when they got something." This opinion was publicly stated. Bellinger even added, "Maybe we’re just so obvious with it with our motion...A lot of teams are discreet. We just kind of, if we got it, you know."