New England was in the house for Saturday’s World Baseball Classic showdown in Japan — or was it?
Patriots star Drake Maye and wife Ann Michael stopped by the Tokyo Dome for Japan’s 8–6 WBC group stage victory over Korea, and the NFL MVP runner-up drew criticism for his ballpark attire.
MLB posted a photo of the “New England royalty” on the field, though Boston fans were quick to spot Maye wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey — presumably with Shohei Ohtani’s No. 17 on the back — despite having no direct affiliation with the team.
“Gotta get that man a new jersey!” one user commented under MLB’s post on X.
“New England royalty wearing a Dodgers jersey,” another user added, punctuating their message with a crying emoji.
And finally: “Dude. Drake man. NEVER wear a Dodger jersey again. It’s Redsox only bro”
The couple witnessed another signature performance from the global superstar, who went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and launched a game-tying solo home run in the third inning — kick-starting a three-homer frame for Japan.
Following Seiya Suzuki’s second round-tripper of the game, Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida punctuated the surge with a no-doubt blast to right field, sending the hometown crowd into bedlam.
While Maye didn’t rep Boston’s signature red and navy at the stadium, Ann Michael made sure to pack a Red Sox ball cap for the couple’s offseason trip to Japan, sporting one on her Instagram story.
An added incentive in visiting the Land of the Cherry Blossoms is that Maye’s brother, Luke Maye, plays forward for the Kobe Storks of the Japan Professional Basketball League.
Perhaps Maye was just supporting MLB’s most popular team in Japan — but he might need to update his wardrobe when he returns to New England.
