PHILADELPHIA — J.T. Realmuto dropped his bat and immediately hunched over after Marlins reliever Ronny Henriquez threw a slider that didn’t slide. The pitch ran way inside and tracked right toward the catcher’s hands. But luckily for Realmuto, the ball made contact with only the black knob on the bottom of his Old Hickory maple, resulting in a foul ball. He avoided potential injury, and the Phillies may have his grip to thank.
Realmuto remains one of what appears to be a select group of major-league hitters who still choke up on the bat each time at the plate.