Report: Viral Twitter Videos Accelerated MLB's Investigation in Astros Scandal

Joon Lee of ESPN reported on Friday that baseball fans' viral Twitter videos uncovering the Houston Astros' 2017 sign-stealing schemes played a key role in Major League Baseball's investigation into the practices.

"The internet's social media sleuthing skills played a crucial role in shaping the investigation, dramatically reducing the time the league needed to comb through video for evidence," per league sources to Lee.

Jimmy O'Brien, best known on social media as Jomboy, launched the most prominent video on Nov. 12:

He also produced other videos from various games.

Others dove into the investigation, including Ian Hunter and Harrison Miller.

Hunter divulged a banging occurrence during a Toronto Blue Jays vs. Astros game, and Miller passed along a screenshot that included numerous sign-stealing points outlined in the MLB's report:

Coaches, players and staff participated in the Astros' multilayered scheme, which included objects such as cameras, garbage cans and bats.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were initially suspended one year each, and Houston owner Jim Crane soon decided to part ways with both.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, the Astros' bench coach in 2017, and New York Mets skipper Carlos Beltran, an Astros outfielder in that World Series championship season, mutually parted ways with their teams after MLB's findings.

Houston was also fined $5 million and lost its first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.