Stephen A. Smith Comically Bounced His First Pitch at Yankees Game and Fans Had Jokes

ESPN analyst Stephen. A Smith took the mound to throw out the first pitch at the Yankees–Blue Jays game in New York on Thursday night, and while it wasn’t the worst entry into first pitch lore, it certainly wasn’t the best—and fans were quick to poke fun at him for it.

The First Take star’s effort didn’t reach home plate, as the ball bounced about 10 feet before it, one-hopping into the catcher’s glove. Yankee Stadium erupted in boos at the sight.

Smith looked pretty disappointed after his short pitch, but he added to the discourse on social media by posting a video of it to X, formerly known as Twitter, to note that “it was a changeup!”

Smith has recently been critical of baseball in general, making MLB fans heated about any baseball related takes he may give. Smith specifically gave a rant about Shohei Ohtani the other day that made fans upset.

Because the first pitch didn’t go as planned for Smith, fans were quick to jump on the analyst for his approach. Here’s some of the best social media reaction.