Sign Stealing Controversy Erupts in 2025 MLB Postseason
The escalating debate over pitch tipping and sign stealing has taken center stage in the 2025 Major League Baseball postseason, with a recent incident involving the Seattle Mariners raising eyebrows among former players and analysts. A Mariners player’s overt attempt to relay signals to teammates during an ALDS Game 4 matchup against the Detroit Tigers has sparked discussion about the boundaries of competitive strategy in the modern game.
The incident occurred in the fourth inning of the Tigers’ 9-3 victory over the Mariners on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. With Mariners hitter Mitch Garver at the plate and Josh Naylor on second base, Naylor was observed making distinct arm movements before each pitch delivered by Detroit reliever Tyler Holton. Play-by-play announcer Adam Amin alerted viewers to “keep an eye” on Naylor’s actions, suggesting a potential attempt to communicate the upcoming pitch to his teammates.
Former All-Star pitcher Adam Wainwright, providing analysis for the broadcast, expressed strong disapproval. “I mean, what in the world? … I’ve never seen it so blatant in my whole life,” he stated, adding that the signals could have been a deliberate attempt to mislead the Tigers. However, he conceded the possibility that the movements were “for show.”
Fellow analyst and former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski offered a more critical perspective, noting a growing trend of such tactics. “You haven’t watched a lot of games this year because it’s getting crazy,” Pierzynski replied. He questioned the logic of intentionally drawing attention to potential sign-stealing, stating, “Some guys say, ‘Oh, I’m doing it for show,’ but why are you doing it for show? Just to make someone think you’re doing something? I’ve never seen that.”
While acknowledging that stealing signs from second base is not explicitly illegal, Pierzynski emphasized that teams in his playing days were more discreet when they had successfully deciphered an opponent’s signals.
Former big leaguer Trevor Plouffe weighed in on the matter via X, suggesting Naylor’s signals were likely “dummy” signs intended to create confusion. However, Plouffe also revealed a historical deterrent to such overt actions. “Back in the day it wasn’t ‘a gentleman’s agreement’ that kept the signals more discreet. IT WAS THAT GUYS WOULD DRILL YOU!” he wrote. “Haha we’ve gotten away from that, thank goodness. But that’s what it was. And you also didn’t want the other team to know that you had something, so that you could keep doing it.”
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Despite Naylor scoring a run in that inning, the Mariners ultimately suffered a decisive loss, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5 in Seattle. The incident underscores a broader trend in the game, fueled by the proliferation of cameras and video analysis, which has made pitch tipping and identifying decoding-tells increasingly prevalent.
This isn’t an isolated incident. In September, prior to the ALDS, the New York Yankees were accused of successfully anticipating pitches thrown by Toronto Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer, contributing to a three-run homer by Ben Rice. Following that game on September 8, Toronto manager John Schneider publicly acknowledged the Yankees’ proficiency in deciphering opposing pitchers’ signs. “They were relaying pitches, they’re good at it. Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something,” Schneider stated. “Maybe I’m the only one that’s going to say it publicly. But we have to do a better job of making sure we’re not giving anything away.”
The increasing scrutiny surrounding sign-stealing and pitch-tipping suggests a potential need for further discussion and clarification of rules within MLB, as teams continue to push the boundaries of competitive advantage in the pursuit of a championship.
