David SchoenfieldApr 12, 2026, 05:00 PM ETCloseCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995Multiple Authors
This will be a running file updated throughout the season. We’ll crown the initial winner of the Bat Flip Championship Belt and then, whenever a worthy competitor enters the ring, he’ll square off with the current holder to see whose bat flip comes out on top and whether the belt gets passed along.
“We’re coming off of a tough road trip,” Arozarena told reporters after the game. “So I think to have this moment, it puts us in a good place.”
Wearing their new City Connect jerseys for the first time, Sheets’ blast traveled 434 feet and gave the Padres a walk-off win for the second night in a row. As he skipped toward first base, he held the bat for a couple of seconds, finally tossing it away with a one-handed sidearm motion.
David SchoenfieldApr 12, 2026, 05:00 PM ETCloseCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995Multiple Authors
Whoever finishes the season with the belt is the 2026 champion.
CloseCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995
Call that ball Artemis because it went to the moon and back 🚀 pic.twitter.com/lJxxZohvWT
GAVIN SHEETS WALKS IT OFF!THE @PADRES DO IT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/mPHAYJqKXG