The New York Yankees caught Max Scherzer tipping his pitches during Sunday’s game, and they did not do much to hide that fact.
The Yankees very clearly caught Scherzer tipping his changeup during the first inning of Sunday’s 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y. With first baseman Ben Rice batting, Aaron Judge could clearly be seen signaling with his arms from second base every time Scherzer threw a changeup.
Rice benefitted twice from Judge’s efforts. He was able to lay off one changeup in the dirt, and then unloaded on one that stayed up for a three-run home run.
Max Scherzer was tipping his changeup. It led to an amazing AB from Ben Rice.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) September 7, 2025
A 3-run HR gives the Yankees a 3-0 lead pic.twitter.com/6j490ZronO
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after the game he had been well aware of what was happening. Schneider admitted that his pitcher needed to do a better job hiding his pitches, but added that it was an open secret around the league that the Yankees are good at this sort of thing.
“They were relaying (pitches) … they’re good at it,” Schneider said, via Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. “Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something. 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 Yankees are not doing anything illegal here. If there is a runner at second who can clearly see what pitch is coming, there are no rules that prevent him from relaying that through signals to the batter. This would only cross the line if the Yankees were using some secret off-field method to get an opponent’s signs and relay them, as the Houston Astros infamously did in 2017. Schneider is correct that it is ultimately on Scherzer and his fellow pitchers to ensure that they are not giving their pitches away under such circumstances.
Of course, the Blue Jays have had suspicions about Judge’s behavior in this regard before. That incident is likely lingering in their minds as they watch how this played out.
