Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly was visibly frustrated Monday night after accusing Chicago Cubs third-base coach Quintin Berry of trying to gain an advantage by reading his pitch signals and relaying the information to Chicago hitters.
The incident unfolded during the fifth inning at Chase Field as Kelly stepped off the mound and directed his attention toward Berry near third base. Arizona’s dugout believed Berry was attempting to get a look at Kelly’s glove and identify the pitch he was preparing to throw. The accusation quickly sparked shouting between the two dugouts and added tension to an otherwise one-sided game.
Kelly did not dispute that stealing signs has always been part of baseball. However, he drew a clear distinction between players identifying signs naturally during a game and a coach actively attempting to obtain pitch information from outside the traditional player-to-player battle.
The veteran right-hander described Berry’s actions as “bush league,” arguing that pitch stealing should remain within the boundaries of what players can legitimately observe on the field.
Kelly explained that a runner on second base noticing the catcher’s signs or a hitter picking up something from a pitcher’s glove or delivery is part of the competitive nature of baseball. In his view, however, a coach positioning himself to obtain that information crosses a different line.
The situation was particularly frustrating for Kelly because he believed Berry had identified his changeup, one of the pitcher’s most important weapons. Kelly said Berry appeared to signal to Cubs hitters whenever he was preparing to throw the pitch.
Despite the alleged advantage, Chicago did not consistently capitalize on Kelly’s changeup, recording only two hits against the pitch. Still, Kelly maintained that the issue was less about whether the Cubs successfully hit the pitch and more about how the information was obtained.
Kelly also acknowledged that the episode forced him to examine his own approach and make sure he was not inadvertently giving opposing teams clues. He recognized that teams constantly search for small advantages during the long MLB season.
Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister was among the most vocal members of Arizona’s dugout during the exchange. He characterized the confrontation as part of the intense competitive atmosphere that naturally develops between teams during the stretch run of August.
Manager Torey Lovullo also downplayed the possibility of the situation becoming a serious feud. According to Lovullo, the exchanges were competitive and involved gamesmanship, but neither side made the situation personal. There were no retaliatory hit-by-pitches or other incidents that escalated the confrontation beyond verbal exchanges.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of MLB’s long and complicated history with sign stealing. The issue became especially sensitive following the Houston Astros’ 2017 electronic sign-stealing scandal, which led baseball to take a much stricter stance on technology-assisted efforts to decode opponents’ signs.
Modern communication systems such as PitchCom were introduced in part to make it much harder for opposing teams to steal signs directly from the catcher. At the same time, teams remain free to study tendencies and search for information that can be legitimately obtained through observation during a game.
MLB also introduced a new restriction for first- and third-base coaches in 2026. Coaches are required to remain inside their designated coaching boxes until the pitch is delivered, a rule designed partly to prevent coaches from gaining better angles to see a pitcher’s grip or other clues. Coaches can be warned for leaving the box while a pitcher is on the rubber, with repeated violations potentially resulting in an ejection.
For Kelly and the Diamondbacks, however, the controversy ultimately became secondary to the result on the scoreboard. Chicago dominated Arizona in a 7-0 victory, scoring three earned runs against Kelly over 5⅔ innings before continuing to punish the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.
The Cubs’ offensive success ensured that the sign-stealing dispute would not be the only storyline from the night. Still, Kelly’s comments highlighted the continuing tension surrounding how far teams and coaches should go when searching for an edge in an increasingly sophisticated MLB environment.
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