Professional athletes are among the most competitive humans on the planet. They believe nothing is impossible if they choose to try it. It’s just wired into their DNA, which is why they ended up at the height of their respective professions. One young athlete who embodies confidence like no other is Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards.
Anthony Edwards Says He Could Have Played MLB
With MLB Postseason’s Wild Card rounds kicking off this week, a video surfaced of Edwards being interviewd by CBS as a rookie and asked about his all-around athleticism.
Since he was a kid, Ant-Man always believed he was the best athlete regardless of his opponent or the competition. Before he was a rockstar in the NBA, giving us highlight-reel dunks and his charismatic and fine-accumulating postgame interviews, he was a rookie who emphatically told one CBS reporter that he could play any sport.
“I used to play baseball when I was young. I coulda made it in the MLB,” Edwards said at the time. I’m serious though. You think I’m joking, but I’m serious.”
The reporter started naming myriad sports and Edwards was unrelenting in his insistance that he could dominate everyone of them if he so chooses.
“Ping-pong, baseball, football, basketball,” said the interviewer, before Edwards interrupted with, “tennis, swimming, lacrosse, whatever you need me to play I’m gonna go do it. If there’s some money on the line, I’m gonna do it.”
“Can you golf?” the reporter asked.
“Whatever you need me to do,” the young Edwards, now 24 and a father of multiple children, repeated. He even said he could play “hockey. Trash can ball. Whatever you want. Cook food. I bet I’ll be A-1 from day one.”
Social Media Reacts To Anthony Edwards Rookie Claims That He Could Have Played Pro Baseball
NBA fans were thankful that Edwards chose basketball.
“As a Mavs fan, Thank You Antman,” said one fan, appreciating his choice to play basketball even though he reisdes in a rival city.
“Ant as a tennis player is wild,” said another fan.
“He really that guy,” quipped one netizen.
But not everyone believes his claims.
“Yeah, if people are taking him seriously they are foolish. He mightve been good at baseball, he wasnt going to the MLB,” said one fan.
“He’s lying,” said another doubting netizen.
Ant-Man Was a Multi-Sport Athlete In High School
The polarizing Edwards was a multi-sport athlete growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. He played sports such as football, basketball, and baseball, which made him a well-rounded athlete.
In an old clip from 2020, Edwards claimed he played pitcher, shortstop, third baseman, and centerfield. You can also hear Edwards smash a pitch in the video. Edwards, who stands 6’4″ and weighs 220 lbs, is a dynamic, high-flying athlete who could have excelled as a centerfielder, especially considering the average MLB height of 6’1″ and vertical leap of 28.3 inches. Edwards supposedly hit a pitch out of Target Field in Minnesota, according to a grainy video on YouTube.
He also threw out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game and from the form and velocity he exhibited, we can almost be assured that was bravado talking in that interview four years ago. But you have to believe it to acheive it so, it’s not surprising Edwards, who has already secured a $260M contract and been to the Western Conference Finals at age 24, believes he can walk on water.
Anthony Edwards Has Athletic Skills That Can Excel On Baseball Field
As a supreme NBA athlete, Edwards owns a vertical range of approximately 41 to 41.5 inches, enabling him to levitate in the air like an aerial artist for catches that would amaze crowds at MLB games. Just look at this ferocious dunk. His speed also allow him to become a lethal base-swiper, as he reportedly has a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
Add in Edwards’ chiseled upper body strength and frame, and he could develop into a strong power hitter in the mold of two-way legend Bo Jackson. With his length and strength, he could be a dominant as a pitcher if given the reps to practice and hone his skills at the mound from an early age. He used to hit in the cleanup or fifth spot on his youth team’s batting order. Edwards would be an anomaly if he actually focused his talents and God-given abilities on the game of baseball. Maybe in the mold of 6-foot-8 Aaron Judge or two-way freak Shohei Ohtani.
Edwards has a long NBA career ahead and much to still accomplish so the MLB projection is a huge what-if that will never happen. Entering this 2025-26 NBA season, Minnesota is one of the biggest question marks in the league.
The team took a step backwards last season and Edwards dealt with some very public paternity and relationship drama that ultimately caused distractions for himself and the team. But he will need that confidence to get his team though the Western Conference gaunlet and into his first NBA Finals.
