On August 15th, 2020, San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. made history when he hit a grand slam on a 3-0 count in the top of the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers. The home run, which was the first of its kind in MLB history, made Tatis Jr. the youngest player ever to hit a grand slam on a 3-0 count.
However, not everyone was pleased with Tatis Jr.’s record-breaking home run. Minor league pitcher Jared Shuster took to Twitter to accuse Tatis Jr. of cheating, claiming that the home run was a result of the Padres’ shortstop using an illegal bat. Shuster went on to say that he had seen Tatis Jr. using an illegal bat in the past and that he was “disgusted” by the home run.
The accusations made by Shuster have been met with mixed reactions from the baseball community. Some have argued that Tatis Jr. was simply taking advantage of a rare opportunity and that his home run should be celebrated. Others have pointed out that if Tatis Jr. was indeed using an illegal bat, then it would be a serious violation of MLB rules and could result in disciplinary action.
At this point, there is no evidence to suggest that Tatis Jr. was using an illegal bat during his record-breaking home run. However, the accusations made by Shuster have certainly raised some eyebrows and have prompted MLB officials to investigate the matter further.
Regardless of whether or not Tatis Jr. was cheating, his record-breaking home run will go down in history as one of the most memorable moments of the 2020 MLB season. It remains to be seen if Tatis Jr. will face any disciplinary action for his actions, but one thing is for sure: his home run will be remembered for years to come.
