Mitch Voit had plenty to celebrate on Sunday after being selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft.
Chances are, that celebration did not resemble the now-infamous one the former Michigan infielder performed during a game against USC on March 16 in Ann Arbor.
With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Voit ripped a hit into center field for a three-run triple that gave the Wolverines a 5-0 lead. While still on the ground after diving into third base, Voit decided to celebrate the feat in a rather curious manner.
He lowered his nose to the baseline chalk and appeared to mimic snorting cocaine.
Video of the bizarre celebration went viral, and Voit issued an apology in a statement posted on social media the next day.
“I would like to apologize for my actions on third base yesterday,” Voit wrote. “I made an immature decision in the heat of the moment. The gesture I made does not reflect my character, the household I was raised in, or the block M that I represent in any kind of way. I take full responsibility for what I did, and I am truly sorry to all those who I have negatively impacted by doing this.”
Voit was not punished by the Wolverines.
“Mitch is a great young man and immediately apologized for his actions in the heat of the moment,” Michigan Athletics spokesperson David Ablauf told The Athletic in a March 18 email. “As an athletic department, we did not feel that it was necessary to issue any discipline.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said the organization did its due diligence on the matter leading up to the draft.
“We spoke to him earlier in the spring and at the combine about it,” Gross said. “And basically, you know, he’s a young guy, it’s a heat of passion, it’s a big game. He made a big play for his team and made a mistake. And he’s made an apology for it and owned up to it, handled it with class.
“We did a ton of research after the fact with multiple sources about his makeup. We know this isn’t an issue and we feel comfortable with Mitch moving forward.”
Voit was a two-way player during his first two seasons at Michigan, before undergoing internal brace surgery on his right elbow in spring 2024. As the Wolverines’ starting second baseman in all 56 games this season, Voit hit .346 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs, with more walks (40) than strikeouts (34).
“He made a lot of strides, this being his first year to focus on hitting,” Gross told reporters Sunday.
“When you’re scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.”
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