“I didn’t care what position I played, I just wanted to be in the game,” says the New York Mets’ top 2025 draft pick, embodying a selfless attitude, prioritizing the team over his own preferences. The Michigan standout was selected 38th overall by the team. He really took off in his junior campaign, slashing .399/.514/.626 with 14 home runs and a stunning 1.140 OPS. For the Mets, he felt like a safe bet and understandably so.

We are talking about Mitchell Voit. This Wisconsin native is more than just a terrific ballplayer. He was an Academic All-Big Ten at the University of Michigan, where he evolved into a leader as well. Voit was the all-around package of a student-athlete: dedicated, mature. But despite all his on-field success and well-earned character references, he’s known for something else as well. An impulsive moment that came in March now dominates his entire resumé.

The controversy was set off by the X account of Jomboy Media, which uploaded a clip from a March 16 game against USC. After hitting a bases-clearing triple, the Michigan star Voit went head-first into third base. He then performed a celebration that instantly went viral. The video shows him dropping his nose just above the chalk foul line. He then snaps his head back up, obviously pretending to snort something.

It’s not hard to guess what he was imitating. Jomboy’s post-draft tweet — just simply captioned “Mets first round pick”— brought that moment back to the fans.

Voit even apologised in the wake of the March incident. “I made an immature decision in the heat of the moment,” he wrote on X, before further adding, “The gesture I made does not reflect my character… I take full responsibility for what I did.” While the apology was prompt, his drafting by the Mets gave the controversial clip a second life, sparking intense debate.

The debate has now taken over social media, creating a fascinating Rorschach test for baseball fans.

Decoding the chatter: Fan reactions to the Mets’ new pick

For many fans, the clip felt like a blast from the past. “1986 Keith Hernandez approves this message,” a comment read, summing up the feeling with dark humor. Well, Keith Hernandez was the captain and star first baseman of the 1986 World Series champion Mets. However, just before that season, he testified in the Pittsburgh Drug Trials, admitting to using cocaine for several years, creating a major scandal.

“The Mettiest Met I’ve ever seen,” wrote another fan. Now, calling a player “Mettiest” must be a compliment. That simply means he embodies the franchise’s history of lovable, headline-grabbing, and sometimes unhinged personalities.

Pushing the historical comparison even further, some fans turned to outright satire. They joked that the rookie’s on-field theatrics were so perfectly on-brand that they couldn’t be a coincidence. “Dude was mentored by Daryl Strawberry before the Mets even drafted him…” a fan chimed in. That was pure sarcasm, but it hit a nerve. Darryl Strawberry’s time with the Mets was defined by both his incredible talent and his off-field troubles, including an MLB suspension for cocaine use.

For some fans, the incident felt like a symptom of the franchise itself. They saw it as another chapter for a team that seems to attract bizarre drama. “The Mets are like the Cleveland Browns of the NFL😂,” one more X user commented.

Well, the Cleveland Browns are infamous for squandering immense talent due to off-field issues, particularly involving substance abuse. Receiver Josh Gordon is one of the examples. Fans also remember running back William Green, another high draft pick whose Browns career ended after a DUI and marijuana suspension in 2003.

Certain other fans were, however, unimpressed with Voit’s judgment. For them, the gesture wasn’t funny or iconic. “What a tool…” a fan wrote. Well, it certainly wasn’t iconic. And that’s why Voit apologized, but hey, that’s all in the past now. Moving forward, the Mets faithful must be excited to watch Voit realize his potential in New York.