J.T. Realmuto is making an immediate impact in Philadelphia.
The catcher, acquired during the offseason from the Miami Marlins, hit his first home run as a Phillie on Saturday, a two-run shot against the Atlanta Braves to break a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning.
434 feet later, the Phillies are back in front!
Realmuto crushes one to give the Phillies a 6-4 lead! pic.twitter.com/7IoDPHqq97
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 30, 2019
If it looked like Realmuto absolutely crushed that 434-foot home run, you would be correct. According to Statcast, it was the hardest ball he’s hit since tracking began in 2015.
J.T. Realmuto's homer had 112.8 mph exit velo, his hardest-hit batted ball since @statcast began tracking in 2015.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 30, 2019
No wonder the Phillies were so aggressive in trying to nab Realmuto from the Marlins. Bryce Harper will get the headlines, but Realmuto is also going to be a hugely important addition to this Philadelphia club.
