The No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft recently surprised fans with an MLB appearance.
Over the years, many athletes have thrown ceremonial first pitches at MLB games, and AJ Dybantsa became a recent addition to that list.
Dybantsa threw the first pitch during the Boston Red Sox’s recent game against the New York Yankees.
AJ Dybantsa’s first pitch at the Boston Red Sox game was caught by Payton Tolle
Oftentimes, the ceremonial pitch by an athlete of a different sport is caught by the team’s catcher. However, that wasn’t the case in Dybantsa’s pitch.
According to Justin Turpin on X, Dybantsa’s first pitch was caught by Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle.
“Brockton, Mass., native AJ Dybantsa, the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, throws out the first pitch before Red Sox-Yankees at Fenway. The pitch was caught by Payton Tolle,” Turpin wrote.
After catching the pitch, Tolle quickly ran towards Dybantsa and handed him the baseball. The Washington Wizards rookie will likely keep it as memorabilia, which could be sold later in an auction.
AJ Dybantsa is ready to turn around the Washington Wizards
Coming back to Dybantsa’s NBA career, the rookie will enter the NBA with high expectations and the Wizards nation will pin their hopes on him.
After all, the Wizards had been waiting for a rookie of Dybantsa’s caliber and end their playoff drought of five years.
Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during his sole season with the BYU Cougars at the NCAA.
If he can replicate such numbers during his rookie season, it will instantly catapult him into the conversation of the best rookies of all time.
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