Realmuto’s ABS Instincts on Full Display During Luzardo's Flashy Spring Debut

Thursday’s Phillies game stood out most for being a successful three-inning spring training debut for Jesus Luzardo, but also because of J.T. Realmuto’s impact behind the plate.

Realmuto went 0-for-3 and didn’t throw anybody out, but his instincts and knowledge of the strike zone helped Luzardo to two first-inning strikeouts that enabled the lefty to settle into his outing.

Realmuto successfully challenged ball-strike calls in consecutive at-bats. Both were missed by home-plate umpire Felix Neon and both were overturned to called strike threes against Red Sox DH Matt Thaiss and catcher Connor Wong.

Luzardo knew the second one, in particular, was a strike, and also touched his cap to signal a challenge as he bounced off the mound.

Neither pitch was close to a ball but perhaps fooled the umpire because of the way they moved in the strike zone. The pitch to Thaiss was a back-foot sweeper on a 1-2 count. The pitch to Wong was a changeup high in the zone, well higher than was likely intended.

"Me and J.T. were messing around about who got it first, it might've been J.T.," he said during an in-game interview on the Phillies' broadcast after exiting.

"It could've gotten really long really fast. Funny enough, all spring I've been saying there's absolutely no way I challenge for the rest of the year, and I didn't even make it an inning. I challenged the third batter of the game. It was just kind've instinct. I'm glad about the ABS. I think I'll have my different opinions throughout the year."

Rely on the catcher?

Only the pitcher, catcher or hitter can challenge a ball-strike call under the Automated Ball-Strike System. Teams begin a game with two and retain each successful one. This is the first year it will be implemented in MLB.

In the minor leagues, the least successful challenger has been the pitcher, so there is a school of thought that it should be left in the hands of the catcher, especially if it’s a veteran catcher and/or an inexperienced pitcher. There are multiple layers to it. Beyond needing to feel confident you’re right, it also has to be right time in a game. Why challenge a borderline pitch early and risk losing the ability to do so later, when it may matter more?

“It is what it is. I like it as a hitter, I don't love it as a catcher," Realmuto said Sunday during an in-game interview with Tom McCarthy and Ruben Amaro Jr.

"I just think it puts so much more on our plate. We've got to know guys' strike zones, their top, their bottom. And then know whether it's a time in the game that's worth a challenge. And then we're always going to get questioned after the game why we didn't challenge certain ones. It puts a lot more on our plate. But these pitchers are getting so good, it's going to help to have a consistent strike zone every day."

Phillies pitchers would probably do well to trust their veteran backstop. He’s still working through it himself, weighing the pros and cons of challenging early.

"(Sunday), earlier in the game, there was one that was right on the edge and I halfway pulled my hand up (to challenge), and then I remembered it was an 0-0 count to the first batter of the inning," Realmuto said. "So I was like, nah, it's probably not the time. But it ended up just clipping the zone, so I would have been right on it."

He was right twice on Thursday for Luzardo for two of the lefty’s five strikeouts. Luzardo allowed just two singles over three scoreless innings without a walk.

It was a good day for two projected members of the Phillies’ bench. Utilityman Dylan Moore hit a two-run single and Otto Kemp doubled twice. Moore is competing primarily with Bryan De La Cruz for the final spot on the Phils’ bench. Kemp will definitely be on the Opening Day roster as a platoon option in left and backup at first base, third base and second base.