Baseball fans from the D.C. area probably won’t be smiling about AJ Dybantsa’s latest public appearance.
Dybantsa threw out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox home game Saturday against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. The Washington Wizards rookie threw a looping pitch to Mickey Gasper, then raised his hands in celebration as the Beantown crowd cheered.
AJ Dybansta threw the first pitch at the Boston Red Sox game today 💪
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2026
(via @mlb) pic.twitter.com/46X5ZRavV4
The clip spread across social media and left several fans confused. Many wondered why Dybantsa, who officially became a Wizard earlier this week, was throwing out the first pitch at a Red Sox game rather than at a Washington Nationals contest.
Why? Boston Celtics didnt draft him.
— Iceberg Thick! (@NaimTheDream) June 27, 2026
Why tf is he not in DC lol
— basement crew™ (@tweeto58) June 27, 2026
An embarrassment that the nationals couldn’t get him first, what are we doing? @Nationals
— Wigs (@WigsNBA) June 27, 2026
Dybantsa grew up in Brockton and started his high school hoops career at Saint Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass. The former Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year certainly has ties to the Boston area. But it’s still unusual that Dybantsa’s first pitch after being drafted by a Washington-based team came while wearing a Red Sox jersey rather than a Nationals one.
The BYU product is the Wizards’ most highly touted prospect since John Wall and joins a team that already has a foundation of veterans and young talent ready to compete for a postseason spot. His approval rating in the nation’s capital can probably withstand this for the time being.
D.C. sports fans can take solace in the likelihood that Dybantsa throws several first pitches with the Nats for years to come.
