It didn’t take very long at all for the first umpiring controversy of the ALDS between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.
The two division rivals met on Saturday for the first game of their best-of-five divisional playoff series. In the top of the first inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ont., Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham was leading off the contest.
On the very first pitch from Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, the lefty Grisham fouled a ball off his foot. The ball ended up making its way off the deflection to Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who stepped on the bag.
Much to the Yankees’ surprise, the umpires called Grisham out on the play. Apparently, they did not see the ball kick off Grisham’s toe and instead ruled it a fair ball for a groundout.
Here is the video.
Do you think this should have been ruled a foul ball? pic.twitter.com/rFyfYq1Sq1
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 4, 2025
By definition, that was indisputedly a foul ball (with Grisham’s foot positioned on the outside of the foul line). But because the play is not reviewable by rule, the Yankees couldn’t do anything after the umpires blatantly missed the ball hitting Grisham’s toe.
While Yankees slugger Aaron Judge then followed up with a base hit, Gausman was able to retire the side on an economical 13 pitches thanks to the Grisham play. The Blue Jays then rode solo home runs by both Guerrero and catcher Alejandro Kirk to a 2-0 lead after two innings.
The umpiring whiff at least took place on the first pitch of the game rather than at a more crucial stage later on. But it definitely opened up another sore spot to begin the ALDS for the Yankees, who have been on the receiving end of some horrendous calls over the last month.
