Eugenio Suarez, the All-Star third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and one of the most underappreciated talents in the game, likes to chew gum while on the field.

This fact alone doesn’t rise to the level of newsworthiness. Baseball players have shoved sticky pink wads into their mouths for time immemorial, particularly as a way to replace—or cover up—their nasty tobacco habits.

But...