Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu breaks bat in most bizarre way possible against Pirates originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's spring training for everybody. Even players' bats need time to break in after a long offseason.
Or, just break.
Outfielder Wilyer Abreu stood at home plate, stunned as his bat snapped in half on a check-swing during Tuesday's spring training contest between the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.
A check-swing .... broken bat?
That's a new one 😅 pic.twitter.com/gO8cf1eM9x— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2026
How is that even possible? Surely Abreu's bat must have cracked on an earlier swing. All that was left of the bat following Abreu's check-swing was the nob of the lumber.
Abreu is not the first to accomplish the weird feat
Wondering if a player's bat has ever broken on a check swing before? Oddly enough, Abreu's is not the first to do so.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig's bat broke on a harmless check-swing during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014. Puig looked just as perplexed as Abreu did, walking back to the dugout to grab a new bat.
Baseball is so random that this may be the last time this happens ever, or it'll occur five more times throughout the upcoming regular season.
A few years ago, Abreu reportedly turned down a contract extension from Boston. He has earned back-to-back AL Gold Glove Award selections in right field.
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