What are the odds? In a recent game between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics, A's batter Carlos Cortes hit a pitch from the Mariners' Logan Gilbert, and that ball went in a place no one expected it to.
Never seen something like this ever. This is incredible. Holy moly. pic.twitter.com/8LuLQITuRV
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) April 22, 2026
If you missed it, the ball somehow found its way between the buttons of Gilbert's jersey.
Even the announcers didn't know what to say. "That was something that you will not see again," one of them said.
And no, it's not AI.
And no, it didn't qualify as an out or a legal catch under MLB rules. A legal catch has to be done using a hand or glove and has to maintain control of the ball through the completion of the play.
MLB rules state that when a ball goes into a player's uniform, the umpire should call a timeout, and the ball is ruled out of play. Runners are placed in a manner to nullify the action, but no outs are called.
In this game, Cortes was awarded a hit, and the runner on third stayed on base. Gilbert was not injured, but he was checked by trainers. It had to hurt because the ball was traveling at 108 mph.
Others were reminded of the time Randy Johnson obliterated a bird with a pitch.
Still not as insane as this exploding dove… pic.twitter.com/RsqxlB6Gtp
— 🏔Adam🏔 (@denverbitcoin) April 23, 2026
But we learned that something similar happened back in 1992, when an errant pitch ended up in a batter's jersey and ended a 13-inning game between the Mets and Cardinals.
That’s almost as crazy as 1992 Juan Agosto pitching so poorly and weakly that he hit a guy and it stuck in his shirt to lose the game . It was pathetic… pic.twitter.com/BCDQbs0OPT
— RKP (@rkp33) April 22, 2026
Wow.
I feel as this is a contradiction in the rules. if a pitch brushes a batter's jersey, it's considered an extension of the batter (Hit by Pitch) and the batter is awarded a base. Why isn't the Pitcher/fielder's jersey treated the same? It's not an out but I think it should be.
— Deathro Bodine (@NickGib03283963) April 23, 2026
This seems like a contradiction, but MLB rules are MLB rules.
Insane ha! Cool thing about baseball is you can watch it for years and always see something new.. like this https://t.co/BThOldPJFy
— Jason (@3PeaksTrading) April 23, 2026
We also saw probably the worst call in recent MLB memory, when umpire C.B. Bucknor said Brewers player Jake Bowers didn't touch first base. He did, and Bucknor wasn't even looking at the play he called an out.
Insane ha! Cool thing about baseball is you can watch it for years and always see something new.. like this https://t.co/BThOldPJFy
— Jason (@3PeaksTrading) April 23, 2026
Rough calculations put something like this happening at 1 in 5,000 or so.
The Mariners ended up winning that game 5 to 4.