The traditional 2021 baseball season is over, but many of the game’s prospects are still battling it out in the Arizona Fall League, where it appears things are quite intense.
Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Canaan Smith-Njigba (Peoria Javelinas) was hit by a pitch from Boston Red Sox prospect Josh Winckowski (Scottsdale Scorpions) on Saturday.
Smith-Njigba wasn’t too happy about that, and he proceeded to charge the mound and throw a couple of punches at Winckowski.
Both benches of course cleared and there was quickly a brawl in the infield.
— . (@DaWink33) November 7, 2021
According to Josh Norris of Baseball America, the brawl “continued for several minutes before umpires could separate the teams.”
Norris adds that Smith-Njigba was angry that Scottsdale threw at Peoria on Friday as well, with Pirates prospect Nick Gonzales getting hit by a pitch.
Smith-Njigba was in his first at-bat of the day, pinch-hitting for catcher Chandler Seagle. Back in the dugout, Smith-Njigba could be heard shouting back at the scrum about how this had happened two days in a row.
Smith-Njigba’s Peoria Javelinas met Winckowski’s Scottsdale Scorpions on Friday, too. Though Smith-Njigba was not hit, his teammate and fellow Pirates prospect Nick Gonzales was. Gonzales initially stayed in the game after being checked by trainers, but was removed after the inning ended.
Smith-Njigba and Winckowski were both ejected from the game.