Alex Rodriguez has always been known for his power at the plate, but who knew he had range beyond the baseball field? The former Yankees superstar recently found himself at the center of a viral moment when he confidently stepped up and dropped a Steph Curry-style shot to win a $10,000 bet. Fans were shocked, but they weren’t alone—apparently, so were some MLB insiders.

One of them, clearly amused by the whole situation, took a playful jab at Rodriguez’s basketball skills, suggesting that his game may have miraculously improved after a certain… ahem, move of his own.

Rodriguez, who co-owns the Minnesota Timberwolves, might have assumed that his viral shot would earn him some serious chops on the court. And a certain insider, who had always thought A-Rod wasn’t much of a hooper, thought A-Rod would be up to no good on the hard court. However, as the poor guy got mildly roasted, he had to reconsider – especially with Rodriguez giving them a glimpse of his skills!

“I gotta say, my impression of Alex was that he was not a good basketball player,” the MLB insider Jesse Rogers admitted, on the Baseball Tonight podcast with Buster Olney. But after Alex Rodriguez delivered a video of him warming up—where he casually dropped a three-pointer, their stance softened. “Maybe since he became an NBA owner, you know, he improved his basketball. But that was a sweet shot.”

Ouch. Even when giving A-Rod credit, the backhanded compliment still lands. Rodriguez’s basketball abilities (or perceived lack thereof) has never been a hot topic, mostly because, well, no one ever expected him to be good. Baseball players love to dabble in other sports—pickleball, golf, even some casual basketball—but most stick to what they know best. And according to Jesse, plenty of MLB players actually fear sports like pickleball because of the risk of injury. But basketball? That’s another story.

That’s why his $10,000 moment caught so many off guard. In the video, Alex Rodriguez confidently sets up, fires a deep three, and watches it swish through the net—cool as ever. The internet reacted accordingly, with half the crowd applauding his unexpected skill and the other half left questioning whether he just got lucky. The insider’s reaction landed somewhere in between—skeptical but still impressed.

Either way, the shot was legit, and so was the money he won. But the real win might be the laughs this moment has provided—especially for those who never imagined Rodriguez as anything more than a baseball legend with a shaky jump shot.

Baseball players off the field: who’s actually good at other sports?

While Alex Rodriguez surprised everyone with his smooth three-pointer, he’s far from the only baseball player who has shown unexpected talent in another sport. MLB players are naturally gifted athletes, and many of them thrive in different arenas. Take Jeff Samardzija, for example. Before becoming a successful MLB pitcher, he was a standout wide receiver at Notre Dame and even had an NFL future if he had chosen football over baseball. Then there’s Tim Tebow, who tried to switch from NFL quarterback to professional baseball, proving that some skills translate better than others. Even Babe Ruth was said to have been a solid bowler and golfer during his playing days.

Some modern stars have impressive skills outside of baseball too. Mookie Betts from the Dodgers is known for his bowling skills and has achieved perfect results in the sport. On the other hand, Jonathan India from the Reds has a foundation in competitive soccer. Interestingly Shohei Ohtani, despite being highly talented in baseball, is said to face challenges in golf. A game where many of his peers excelled. Whether it’s basketball, football, or even pickleball, baseball players love to test their skills elsewhere—just as long as they don’t get injured in the process.

So, is Alex Rodriguez secretly a baller, or was this just a one-time fluke? That’s up for debate, but one thing’s for sure—his baseball legacy remains intact, even if his basketball reputation just took an unexpected turn.