BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa shares hilarious reaction to first pitch for hometown Boston Red Sox 

AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2025 basketball class who committed to BYU, had the honor of throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Thursday. Dybantsa took the mound before the Boston Red Sox faced off against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Red Sox shared a video of Dybantsa throwing the first pitch on Instagram. BYU also added several photos and videos of Dybantsa at Fenway Park to Instagram.

A native of Brockton, which is about 20 miles away from Boston, Dybantsa reposted the video to his Instagram story, adding a hilarious caption.

"word on the streets is I'm throwing it like a football," he wrote.

Screenshot via Instagram (@aj.dybantsa/IG)

He arrived at the pitcher's mound wearing a Red Sox jersey with 'Dybantsa' on the back and the No. 3 — the same number he wore while playing at Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah.

The Red Sox won the game 4-3 against the Rays, taking a 3-1 lead in the current series. The two teams will play again on Friday at Fenway Park.

AJ Dybantsa talks about BYU coach Kevin Young and factors that led to his commitment

AJ Dybantsa had all the top college basketball programs in the country vying for his commitment. He went to several official visits, including ones to BYU, North Carolina, Kansas, USC, Alabama and Auburn.

Ultimately, Dybantsa chose BYU and coach Kevin Young late last year. On Thursday, he and his father joined "Toucher & Hardy" on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston to discuss his commitment to BYU and his excitement about playing under Young.

"A non-sugar-coating coach. Just a winning program and a family atmosphere in the school," Dybantsa said what stood out about BYU (Timestamp: 9:29 onwards). "I mean, (Kevin Young) came from the NBA just two seasons ago. He was coaching the Phoenix Suns.

"So he used to coach Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and all of them. He brought his dietitian from the Suns, analytics staff from the Suns, and a strength coach from the Bucks. So basically, he brought an all-NBA staff," he added.

Dybantsa will join a Cougars team that finished 26-10 last season and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Besides him, Young added five transfers and two other freshmen to the roster.