Juan Soto and Zack Greinke had one of the most entertaining at-bats of the postseason. Soto came in hot, sporting an .817 OPS, three homers, and ten RBIs in 13 games. Greinke wasn’t intimidated. He used the at-bat to play constant mind games, repeatedly stepping off the mound to throw off Soto’s timing. Soto went through his typical routine, complete with his signature shuffle and stare-downs. Greinke responded by delaying pitches and working inside to disrupt Soto’s comfort in the box.
After a couple of close calls and a staredown-heavy sequence, Greinke got a generous strike call on a 2-0 pitch. On 3-1, he gave a hard shake off, fully selling that he wouldn’t throw a fastball, then piped one down the middle. Soto, reading the shake, held back. Greinke finally walked him on 3-2, but the chess match kept Soto from swinging when he probably wanted to. It was the only time Soto reached base that game, finishing 0-for-4. Greinke also struck him out later. The at-bat showed how seasoned pitchers can disrupt elite hitters with tempo and deception, not just stuff.