As he stepped into the batter’s box, Matt Duffy could feel his body tighten. His mind raced. He had trouble controlling his usually rhythmic breathing. When the pitcher delivered the pitch, Duffy tensed up. He was leaping into the pitch, something he does when he feels uncomfortable at the plate. A once smooth and relaxed swing became rigid and long. But this was not unfamiliar. It was something he had dealt with throughout 2016.



“I would be fine in batting practice, I would be fine when the ball was on a tee, when it wasn’t moving and when there were no people,” Duffy said. “But the second I got in the box, I kept telling myself ‘I gotta get a hit, I gotta get a hit.’”



Duffy’s approach at the plate has always been simple. He takes a deep breath. Takes a quick glance at his bat. Controls his breathing throughout the at-bat. He sees the ball, reacts accordingly, and lives with the results.



It’s a...