MLB 2026: The Pitch-Tipping Craze Explained - A Deep Dive into Baseball's Controversial Strategy
Uncover the secrets behind MLB's pitch-tipping craze, a strategy that has teams devoting time, energy, and advanced technology to gain an edge.
A decade ago, during the 2015 postseason, the Kansas City Royals were on a championship run when one of their advance scouts noticed a pitcher's tip from an upcoming playoff opponent. This insight gave the Royals hitters a significant advantage, and they scored a bunch of runs as a result. Since then, pitch tipping has become an increasingly prominent strategy in the game, often being the story of the 2025 MLB playoffs. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies have all been involved in high-stakes series where pitch tipping played a crucial role.
The issue came to a head in the World Series when base coaches from the Blue Jays and Dodgers were asked to stop wandering too far out of the box, as their actions could give them better viewing angles on the pitcher's hands and gloves. This led to MLB enforcing a new rule requiring base coaches to stay in their box before the pitch is thrown. It's a clear indication of how much time and energy teams are devoting to this issue, combining advanced technology with staffing to pick up the slightest patterns from their opponents and own pitchers alike.
But here's where it gets controversial: while teams are focused on preventing their own pitchers from tipping, they're also trying to figure out their opponents' tips. Tips can come in many forms, from the position of a pitcher's glove to what they're doing with their fingers, and even subtle cues like the position of their mouth. As Mariners manager Dan Wilson notes, "One guy, you can tell by his mouth, whether it was open or closed. Open was one kind of pitch. Closed was another. Sometimes it's pretty obvious. Everyone can see it."
So, how much does pitch tipping matter? According to Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, "We had a pitcher last year whose foot was straight when he was going to the plate and had it turned just that much when he was going to first base. So they could just run whenever they wanted. It's frustrating. We can't do that." Angels GM Perry Minasian adds, "I've seen teams have pitches and not score any runs. It's still hard to hit. In Texas, we felt like we had Randy Johnson's pitches, and we were all excited -- then we look up and there's a lot of zeros on the scoreboard."
But it's not just about preventing tips; it's also about finding them. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young shares a story where a former teammate told him he was tipping, but he threw seven shutout innings that night. "I got lucky that day, though I can't remember how I was tipping," he says. Perry Minasian agrees, "All 30 of us are worried about all those things. You don't want to give any opponent an advantage. The margins are so slim, the smallest advantage can tip the scales."
What are your favorite anecdotes about pitch tipping? Reds manager Terry Francona admits, "I wasn't very good at it, but I knew when they were throwing over to first. I can't tell you why. ... There is so much video now. We want to make it as hard as possible." White Sox pitcher Sean Newcomb reveals, "Mine was how fast I was chewing gum. I'd chew aggressively on a fastball then stop on breaking balls. Never knew it was an issue until a teammate told me." And Padres manager Craig Stammen shares, "The Dodgers were always on top of that stuff. When they had a runner on second base, I spiked my curveball. I couldn't hide my glove any better. So every pitch I had, I would try to spike it just to throw them off the scent a little bit. ... We are going to spend time on it for sure."
Zack Minasian, Giants GM, reflects on his experience as a bat boy, where players would give him tips to relay to the first-base coach. "I was part of the game. That might have happened a couple times. I think I can tell that now." Giants manager Tony Vitello notes the prevalence of pitch tipping in college baseball, particularly in the SEC, where top teams have the resources to focus on it heavily. "Guys [in MLB] let runners advance so they're not on second base. When the game was on in the locker room in college and we saw that, we thought that was pretty wild. That wasn't happening in college."
So, how much of your day is spent on pitch tipping? Young explains, "We have a review process independent of outcome. Oftentimes they think they were tipping and we go look and it's like, 'No, you were throwing it down the middle.' It's a big part of modern-day baseball. It's as much about prevention as finding out the other team's tips." Forst adds, "It's only natural, if the results are bad, you'll dive more into it." Hazen, Diamondbacks GM, emphasizes the importance of defensive pitch tipping with pitchers, "We spend a lot of time on the defensive pitch tipping with our pitchers. It's a part of almost all our internal conversations, in one-on-ones with our pitchers. We have staff watching all the time."
Picollo, Royals GM, acknowledges the relentless pursuit of pitch tipping, "It's a relentless pursuit. Some teams are better than others at it. We beefed up our efforts after 2023. We have multiple people on our staff, behind the scenes, info from our hitters. It's an advantage. We can't turn a blind eye to it." Schaeffer concludes, "It needs to be a big part. In the past, it hasn't been a huge part. This was a high focus in the offseason, bringing people in for this. All it takes is for one team to have a tip on one reliever in one inning and that's the game. If our guys have a tip, we need to clean it up. It's going to be a huge focus."
So, what do you think? Do you agree with these strategies? Or do you think pitch tipping is overrated? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
