A unique storyline emerged ahead of Game 1 of the World Series, as it came to light that Houston Astros catcher Martín Maldonado was gifted a half-dozen bats to use in the World Series from legendary slugger Albert Pujols.
As it turns out, the story was too good to be true—at least in part.
Maldonado still received the bats, and used at least one of them in Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, as Tom Verducci reported during the FOX broadcast, Major League Baseball stepped in prior to Game 2, informing Maldonado that the bat he used in the series opener “is not a legal bat” for him to use.n
“Martín Maldonado is using a different bat today here in Game 2,” Verducci said. “He found out from MLB today that the bat he used last night is not a legal bat. It was a model that he obtained from Albert Pujols, and he used it because he thought it was a very similar size and weight to his own model . The barrel, he said, was slightly bigger.”
Verducci added that Maldonado thought using the bat would be a way to honor Pujols, who will undoubtedly be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the next decade. The two played together with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017 and 2018.
An adjustment to MLB bat specifications in 2010 meant that Pujols could use the bat, but not players who made their debut after the change.
“Here’s the catch to it,” Verducci added. “In 2010, Major League Baseball changed the bat specifications. That bat that Pujols modeled was no longer legal—except if you were playing prior to 2010, it was grandfathered. So Albert Pujols could use that bat, but Maldonado, who began his major league career in 2011, was not legally able to use that bat.”