Why Bryan Woo was called for bizarre balk involving Mariners' Josh Naylor

Why Bryan Woo was called for bizarre balk involving Mariners' Josh Naylor originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A balk is one of those things that you know it when you see it, sometimes.

The balk called on Seattle Mariners star Bryan Woo on Tuesday night, though, had most baseball fans very confused.

The simple facts are this: San Diego Padres runner Xander Bogaerts was on first base. Josh Naylor was playing first for the Mariners.

Woo did the pivot pickoff move to throw to Naylor, who wasn't standing right at the bag but was a decent distance in front of it.

Bogaerts returned safely, but the first-base umpire called a balk:

Bryan Woo walked over to the first base umpire after he got called for a balk. pic.twitter.com/A1fewjij88

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 15, 2026

Woo was trying to figure out what the heck was going on, too.

MORE:Blue Jays' Ernie Clement is a battle between old-school and new-age baseball

Why was Bryan Woo called for a balk?

Woo's balk had to do with where Naylor was standing.

On the pivot move -- where the pitcher doesn't disengage with the rubber but instead does a legal spin to throw directly to a base -- the fielder has to be "engaged with the base." In this case, Naylor was ruled to not be close enough to first base, thus a balk call.

This rule normally is pictured (although it never happens) as a fielder much further from the base, potentially back in a normal position.

If Woo stepped back with his right foot first (disengaging with the rubber) he could throw the ball wherever he wants. But because he did the spinning pivot move, the receiving fielder had to be at a base.

Naylor doesn't really seem far enough for this rule to apply here. He was holding the runner, sort of.

But the umpire deemed he wasn't close enough, and that's why there was a balk.

Woo got the next two hitters out, so in the end, it didn't really matter.

More MLB news:

• Explaining the absurdity of 2 MLB players named Max Muncy
• He almost retired, but instead he hit his first grand slam
• White Sox are holding a Pope Leo XIV promotion
• This slider is really good and moves the entirely wrong direction
• Did Bo Bichette have a hidden injury?