Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Baseball players have for as long as the game has been played have tried to figure out their opponents’ signs. Whether it was done by breaking the other team’s code, or through more nefarious measures, players have always looked for that edge.
While the Houston Astros, and to a lesser extent, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, were famously caught using illegal means to determine and communicate their opponents’ signs to their own players, every team has continually, at the very least, tried to use legal methods to crack their opponents’ codes and communicate what the other team is going to do.
This espionage has been readily apparent during this year’s Major League Baseball playoffs so far. And it hasn’t been hard to catch.
Cincinnati Reds pitchers made it too easy
On Tuesday, ESPN baseball analysts Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers, and Eduardo Perez pointed out how easily they spotted Cincinnati Reds pitchers tipping their pitches to Los Angeles Dodgers hitters.
“We’re sitting at the hotel bar after the game, Eduardo Perez breaks out his iPad and shows us how he’s tipping his pitches with his glove,” Olney said on the Baseball Tonight podcast. “And he talked about it and then he ran through some of the swings that the Dodgers were taking. And in Eduardo’s mind they absolutely knew every time he was going to throw a breaking ball. It’s one of the advantages of having this incredibly experienced lineup that the Dodgers have with all these guys who played in so many big games starting with Shohei Ohtani.”
"The entire Reds pitching staff was tipping their pitches."
– @JesseRogersESPN🎥 That gives new perspective to this clip from last night's game⬇️
The Reds were making a pitching change – Bringing in Connor Phillips.
2 minutes after looking at the tablet & smiling…… https://t.co/wUKelcQTwI pic.twitter.com/iMRk7vMIPJ
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) October 2, 2025
“Let me just say this, I’m no expert and you and I did not talk last night. I thought the exact same thing,” Rogers added. “In fact, I though the whole entire Reds pitching staff was tipping their pitches because they were incredible at the plate.”.
"When Hunter Greene gets hit that much, there's a reason behind it."@Buster_ESPN & @JesseRogersESPN on the Reds tipping pitches against the Dodgers. https://t.co/9smYze4k8X pic.twitter.com/YLmAkhWAWr
— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) October 1, 2025
Everyone is doing it
As mentioned, it’s not just one team that’s figuring these things out. Before the playoffs began, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berríos called out Boston Red Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez for communicating signs to hitters from second base. Another Blue Jays pitcher, Kevin Gausman, talking about tipping pitches, told the Boston Globe, “It could be something as simple as, like, you chew your gum on a certain pitch but on others you don’t. It’s pretty crazy. But that’s their job.”
“I think every team is doing it. Just, some teams are better at it than others,” said Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal. “It’s all within the [legal] parameters of the game. [The Red Sox] just happen to be really good at it, and you know it.”
Aaron Judge is one of the best at signaling pitches
Another team that appears to be really good at it is Boston’s opponent in this year’s American League Wild Card series: the New York Yankees. One player in particular, Aaron Judge, appears to have been caught by fans relaying pitches to Yankees hitters from second base during the first two games of the series.
In one video, Judge can be seen sticking out his left arm each time the Red Sox pitcher was about to throw a slider.
Aaron Judge is so damn good at picking up pitches and help tipping the batter.
Back to back sliders = left arm wave.
Ben Rice got another slider the next pitch and cranked it right at right fielder fwiw pic.twitter.com/8Thx3tNRF1
— Tim Preston (@TimmyTebrows) October 1, 2025
Here’s another angle…
Aaron Judge and the Yankees had Justin Wilson’s pitches in the 3rd inning you can see Judge signal on the 3rd and 4th pitches (both FBs and only ones of the AB)
Ben Rice smoked the fastball but right at the RF
Tough break@Jomboy_ pic.twitter.com/LtydhXSOKn
— Josh Schreiber (@Jschreiber272) October 1, 2025
In another video from the first game of the series, Aaron Judge appeared to be signaling Yankees hitters every time Aroldis Chapman was about to throw certain pitch by touching his helmet. The video also shows that even if you know what pitch is coming, it doesn’t mean you can hit it.
THE YANKEES WERE CHEATING YESTERDAY AND THEY STILL LOST 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/OQ7B8dfPFW
— KutterIsKing (@KutterIsKing) October 1, 2025
PitchCom, where the pitcher and catcher can communicate without having to use actual signs, has stopped many baserunners from knowing what pitch is coming. However, there is nothing to stop the runner on second base from just looking at the pitcher’s grip inside his glove before he throws.
“I got another glove in here that is even bigger than that glove, so maybe I’ll switch to that,” Kevin Gausman said after facing the Boston Red Sox in the week prior to the playoffs beginning.