Juan Soto Settles Baseball Call With Rock-Paper-Scissors

Sometimes the best way to resolve a baseball disagreement isn't a high-tech replay system or a heated argument with the umpire. It's a simple game of rock-paper-scissors.

During a live batting practice session in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Mets pitcher Nolan McLean threw a fastball that umpire J.P. Arencibia called inside for a ball. McLean immediately challenged the call, but the dugout couldn't provide a clear answer.

Rather than drag out the debate, Juan Soto stepped toward the mound with a grin and extended his fist. The universal signal for rock-paper-scissors was on.

McLean accepted the challenge. Soto won, earning his ball call on the disputed pitch.

"First time for everything," Soto said with a big laugh afterward. McLean admitted he needs to work on his Rochambeau game for next time.

The lighthearted exchange happened as Major League Baseball rolls out its new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System across spring training camps in Florida and Arizona. While players adjust to letting technology settle close calls, Soto and McLean proved the human element still thrives in baseball.

The at-bat itself was no joke. McLean threw Soto nothing but fastballs for roughly 10 pitches, testing the slugger's patience and playing mind games during what was supposed to be routine February practice.

"He was like, 'Man, I was waiting on some kind of spin, and you never threw it to me,'" McLean said. Soto eventually grounded out, though he'd taken McLean to the warning track in an earlier plate appearance.

Sunny's Take

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called both players ultimate competitors, the types who treat mid-February batting practice like October playoff games. That competitive fire showed not just in their swings and pitches, but in their willingness to turn a disputed call into a moment of joy.

McLean graciously conceded afterward that the pitch was "for sure on there" but acknowledged Soto's reputation for great eyes at the plate. "I'll take his word for it," he said.

The moment captured what makes spring training special: serious preparation mixed with the pure fun of playing baseball. No technology needed.