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WWE women's world champion Tiffany Stratton threw the first pitch at Thursday's New York Mets home game against the Washington Nationals, and it rivaled some of the most infamous throws in celebrity MLB first pitch history. Stratton's toss flew over the left-handed batters box and one-hopped the backstop, well out of the reach of Mets outfielder Jared Young, who served as the ceremonial catcher.

The Mets selected Stratton to throw the first pitch after she recently defended her title as the WWE women's champion. She won the title in January and has made numerous successful title defenses over the ensuing months. The former United States national team gymnast joined the SmackDown brand in 2024 after a dominant run in NXT.

Stratton debuted in WWE in November 2021 after she won weightlifting and bodybuilding championships on the heels of her gymnastics career.

Stratton's throw evoked memories of other ceremonial first pitches gone wrong, including perhaps the most infamous one of all, which coincidentally also occurred at a Mets home game at Citi Field. Rapper 50 Cent missed the plate by an almost unbelievable margin when he hurled the first pitch at a May 2014 game in Queens, and the gaffe remains more than a decade later one of the greatest lowlights by a celebrity on the mound.

While 50 Cent's throw is essentially the standard by which all ceremonial first pitches are measured, the Queens native is far from alone on the list of the worst tosses of all time. "Call Me, Maybe" singer Carly Rae Jepsen spiked a ball directly into the turf in 2013 when she took the mound at Tropicana Field ahead of a Tampa Bay Rays game.

Stratton is not the only combat star to go viral for the wrong reasons with a first pitch. UFC legend Conor McGregor had a moment to forget at Wrigley Field in 2021 when he launched a fastball to the backstop, well beyond the right-handed batters box. The heave bounced off the brick wall and caromed sharply towards the first base dugout.

On international soil, five-time Grammy Award winner Mariah Carey tossed a ball into the turf well in front of the plate in 2008. Clad in high heels and classic 2000s garb, Carey threw the first pitch at the Tokyo Dome ahead of a contest between the Yomiuri Giants and Rakuten Eagles, and her offering did not make it halfway to the catcher.

Ceremonial first pitches come with a great deal of pressure, and some celebrities handle the moment better than others.