The Seattle Mariners did not have a good time going against the San Diego Padres in their first 2 games of the series. In the first game, the Mariners scored only one run. In the second game, the Mariners had a hold on the game till the last inning and let it slip. But the Mariners are not the only ones going through a tough time after the game.
Mariners reporter Angie Mentink was seen using AI to prepare to ask questions after the tough loss to the Padres. But Alanna Rizzo backed Mentink and called out the fan who filmed the video. She said, “Angie Mentink has been in this game for decades… She knows ball as they say… I’m upset about this person doing this to her.”
Angie Mentink herself came out after the incident and wrote, “I’m late to the AI party. Earlier this season, I experimented with AI to see if it had any questions to add to my list for my postgame coverage. We’ve come a long way from pen and paper when I started in 1997.”
“It’s disingenuous to what she brings to the game and who she is as a reporter and analyst.”@AlannaRizzo isn’t cool with the fan who thought it was funny to record Angie Mentink in the camera well last night. pic.twitter.com/jYEJhVtuX7
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 16, 2026
Angie Mentink has been around the Seattle Mariners for a long time and knows the game very well. She has covered the team for nearly 30 years and is known for her smart takes and calm way of talking about baseball.
That is why the video caught people off guard. It was not some new reporter learning on the job; it was someone with years of experience being put under the spotlight for one small moment.
The moment came after a tough 7-6 loss to the San Diego Padres.
The Mariners started the game strong and built a 6-2 lead, with Emerson Hancock pitching well and the lineup doing its job. They held the Padres quiet for most of the game and looked set for an easy win. But everything went wrong in the ninth inning.
Andrés Muñoz could not close it out, the bullpen gave up runs, and Jackson Merrill ended it with a walk-off double.
That is when the video started to spread. A fan recorded Mentink using Google Gemini and searching “good questions after a tough loss in baseball.” The timing made it look worse because the game had just slipped away in a painful way.
Fans were split after that. Some said it looked lazy, while others said it was normal to use tools like this to get ideas. In the end, it turned into a bigger debate than it needed to be, all from one short clip.
MLB world split over Mariners reporter using AI
The MLB world is divided after Angie Mentink was found using Google Gemini for framing questions.
“If you need AI to come up with questions for you, then you shouldn’t be a reporter. It’s pretty simple,” ignores how tools now shape modern sports coverage. Reports show journalists already use AI in real settings, with nearly 9% of articles containing AI assistance in some form. The clip involving Angie Mentink also lacked context, as she was experimenting with ideas, not outsourcing her thinking. In a fast postgame setting, phrasing quickly can matter as much as raw instinct.
“This is not a laughing matter. Kids have been expelled from school for less, people have lost high-paying jobs doing similar work,” reflects growing distrust toward AI use in workplaces. Cases exist where reporters faced serious consequences for AI misuse, especially when accuracy or attribution standards were compromised.
The video involving Angie Mentink gained traction without context, despite her recovering from a severe stroke and returning to work. “I can’t believe you think this is a joke. U should be ashamed of urself” captures emotional backlash fueled more by perception than full information. The incident highlights how quickly narratives form online, often ignoring details that change the entire situation.
“No, this was a stroke victim back at work for the first time — weeks ago — trying to regain her bearings,” shows how context changes the entire meaning of a viral clip. Daniel Kramer also notes the video was not from the same Mariners loss, correcting the framing around timing and intent. Reports confirm Angie Mentink was returning to coverage after a severe stroke, making early AI use part of the adjustment, not the replacement of skill.
“I have zero problem with that video of you… Legit method to get ideas. Good for you for being willing to try the new tools,” shows how quickly attitudes shift once context is added to the viral clip. Recent reports confirm she was using Google Gemini only to brainstorm postgame questions, not to replace reporting judgment entirely. The footage also circulated without clarity on timing or setting, which shaped early reactions online.
“You’re good. Nothing shameful in using AI to brainstorm” reflects how normal AI has become in daily work routines. Gallup data shows that about half of employees now use AI tools at work in 2026, especially for writing and idea generation tasks. In journalism, studies also show that most reporters already rely on AI for drafting, editing, or generating angles under tight deadlines.
And this is how life goes. We have half the world telling us that it’s ok because most of the people use it when they need help. But the other half is pointing to the fact that people have lost jobs over this, and Angie Mentink can’t get away with it.
