The hitters figured out when he was throwing his curveball, a breakdown

Apr 9, 2023 963.3K views 6:48
MLB Baltimore Orioles 2023

What Happened

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees steps up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, with his team trailing by one run. Judge calmly digs in, ready to face Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech. On the very first pitch, Judge unleashes a towering home run, tying the game and sparking a thrilling offensive outburst. The next batter, Giancarlo Stanton, also connects for a home run off Kopech's slider. Two batters later, it's Gleyber Torres who punishes a curveball, sending it deep into the stands for another Yankees homer. Kopech is visibly frustrated, wondering what his opponents know that he doesn't. As reveals, the Yankees hitters have picked up on a tell in Kopech's delivery - the positioning of his thumb in his glove. When the thumb is flared up, it indicates a breaking ball is coming. But when the glove lays flat on his wrist, it signals a fastball. "Batters look for this a lot," explains the analyst. "If his thumb is up, that means the breaking pitch is coming." This subtle tip allows the Yankees hitters to time up Kopech's curveball, leading to a barrage of home runs in quick succession. Conforto steps in next and stares intently at Kopech's glove, waiting for the tell. Sure enough, the thumb flares up, and Conforto lays off the curveball. On the next pitch, the glove is flat, and Conforto rips a hard swing, though he misses the fastball. The trend continues, with the Yankees hitters zeroing in on Kopech's glove position to anticipate each pitch. "It's a whole different game than I knew," the analyst admits. "I could barely hit the ball at the T, but these guys are staring at the glove and hitting home runs." By the fifth inning, the Giants' hitters have also caught on to Kopech's tell. Rookie outfielder Joc Pederson says, "What do they know that I don't?" as he steps in against the struggling right-hander. Pederson proceeds to crush another curveball for a home run, capping off the Yankees' incredible offensive outburst. Kopech's pitching coach ultimately has to visit the mound, likely advising him to abandon his breaking pitches and stick to fastballs. But the damage has already been done, as the Yankees hitters have solved the code, leading to four home runs in just five batters.

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take a look at this swing on the

fastball jacked home run the next batter

slider big old swing home run two

batters later curveball big old swing

Home Run next batter fastball big old