Tim Mayza's punishment after last year's fantasy football loss is absolutely hilarious

With spring training games officially underway, fans of the Toronto Blue Jays got an indication that the team’s fun-loving dugout culture is alive and well. As Grapefruit League action began for many clubs on Saturday, some pre-game buzz was around Tim Mayza and his punishment following a last-place finish in the club’s fantasy football league in 2023. 

The veteran reliever had to wear a custom jersey, with 4-10 replacing his usual #58, representing the unfortunate record of Mayza’s fantasy football team in the league with his teammates last year. The other part of the punishment was that Mayza had to serve as the bat boy for the first three innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday afternoon.

During the broadcast, some details emerged on what went wrong for Mayza on the virtual gridiron team he assembled last fall. His first pick was speedy Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, who led the NFL in catches and receiving yards in 2023. 

After strenuous work collecting bats throughout the first three frames, Mayza made himself available for an in-game interview with Ben Shulman and Buck Martinez. The 32-year-old chalked up his fantasy football failures to injuries and questionable managerial decisions. 

As humiliating as his assigned duties may have been, the longest-serving member of the squad went about them earnestly and said so during the interview. He commented that Danny Jansen won the fantasy football league but didn’t face the same scrutiny despite a previous last-place finish. 

Mayza described his friendship with Jansen, a fellow 2013 draft pick by the Blue Jays who has grown into an essential leader. He kept his composure despite being pelted with sunflower seeds by his teammates in the dugout.

Nobody wants to finish last in their fantasy leagues, especially if there’s a punishment. Mayza faced his in public like a true professional, and really, could we expect anything else? The Pennsylvania native has been rock-solid over the last few years and had his best season in 2023 with a 1.52 ERA (281 ERA+) over 53.1 innings pitched. He’ll have to get big outs for a bullpen that could be a team strength in 2024.