J.T. Realmuto wows with leaping tag to get Cody Bellinger at plate in unreal play

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto had baseball fans in awe over his highlight-reel defensive play at the plate against the Yankees. 

Realmuto made a leaping grab on a throw home as Cody Bellinger tried to slide underneath the Phillies catcher, but Realmuto managed to get his glove on the helmet of the Yankees outfielder to keep the Bombers from extending their 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third.

The play started when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a fly ball to Johan Rojas in left-center field. in The Bronx during the Yankees’ 4-3 win.

Rojas made the catch and threw to the plate as Bellinger attempted to tag up from third. 

Realmuto had to leap into the air in order to snag the throw. As Bellinger slid to try and get by the catcher, Realmuto managed to get his glove on the side of his neck for the out as he was coming back down. 

Bellinger looked stunned when the home plate ump signaled the out on the play. 

The play at the plate kept the Phillies in the game and allowed them to pull within one run two innings later when Otto Kemp hit a home run to center field. 

“We need a @topps now card!!!” one person wrote on X in response to a post by MLB. 

“JT (Just Tremendous),” a second person commented. 

“J.T. Realmuto with the hops,” another user wrote. 

And one person simply dubbed Realmuto as “Air JT.” 

Although the play was impressive, the Yankees still held onto their lead for a 4-3 win to avoid getting swept by Philadelphia.

Realmuto had entered Sunday’s game hitting .274/.327/.401 with an OPS of .728, seven home runs and 38 RBIs. 

He finished Sunday’s game with one hit in four at-bats against the Yankees in the loss.