In March, Walt tells Jeremiah about a two-month consulting job in Hillcrest, Ohio, where a company’s robots keep malfunctioning. Jeremiah is disappointed, as he enjoys St. Louis and is looking forward to the upcoming Cardinals season, specifically their tickets to opening day. The job discussion prompts mention of Jerwal, the robot Jeremiah and Walt built together.

Four years earlier, Jeremiah developed cardiomyopathy, a heart condition requiring years of hospital treatment. Walt proposes that Jeremiah’s Aunt Charity stay with him in St. Louis during the job. Jeremiah strongly objects, describing his aunt as smothering, for she makes him wash his hands obsessively, monitors his bathroom habits, and forces him to make crafts.

Researching Hillcrest, Jeremiah discovers the town has an exceptional high school baseball team, the Hornets, with six state championships. He pleads to go along, emphasizing the baseball opportunities and mentioning the team’s star pitcher. Walt agrees to consider it only if Dr. Feinberg, Jeremiah’s cardiologist, gives complete approval. Jeremiah creates a motivational speech about overcoming difficulties, planning to use it someday as a coach.

Jeremiah attends an expedited appointment with his transplant team: Dr. Feinberg, Hassan the nurse, and Millard the technician. He undergoes an echocardiogram and blood test. The narrative reveals that a virus in third grade caused Jeremiah’s cardiomyopathy, eventually requiring a heart transplant at age 10. He recalls wanting to preserve his old heart, which horrified Aunt Charity, and they ultimately donated it to medical research.

Dr. Feinberg questions whether the stress of relocating would be safe. Jeremiah makes his case, highlighting Hillcrest’s high-level baseball, including the fact that their champion pitcher throws a 94-mile-per-hour fastball, which impresses the medical staff. Dr. Feinberg outlines conditions: Jeremiah must establish care with an Ohio team and vigilantly avoid infection. Jeremiah agrees to the terms.

The team deliberates and unanimously approves the trip. Dr. Feinberg refers Jeremiah to Dr. Sarah Dugan in Cincinnati and mentions considering Jeremiah for a future book about positive heart patients. In the corridor, they view the hospital’s wall displaying photos of successful transplant patients, including three of Jeremiah at different ages.

Jeremiah packs his 47 baseball books and carefully boxes Jerwal despite his best friend, Yaff, offering to keep the robot. They watch a live eagle cam together, betting on whether a father eagle will return to feed his chicks. Jeremiah wins when the father appears, and Yaff half-heartedly cleans Jeremiah’s room as payment.

Aunt Charity arrives to express concerns about the trip. Walt assures her they will call if problems arise. As they drive away, Jeremiah sees the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which makes him think about pioneer courage. Then, he remembers his time being sick when Walt and Aunt Charity tutored him. He recalls writing a defiant, ultra-brief essay titled “Why I Will Never Give Up” that his late great-uncle Jack carried in his wallet.

During the drive, Jeremiah researches Hillcrest It has a population of 12,761 and the town motto is, “Life is a game. Baseball is serious” (30). He also learns that the Hornets, the high school team, is strong behind ace pitcher Hargie Cantwell. Arriving at Hillcrest’s entrance, they see a large welcome sign celebrating the town’s winning mentality and commitment to excellence.

Jeremiah and Walt arrive in Hillcrest during pregame excitement. Jeremiah reveals he has named his transplanted heart Alice, meaning noble and possessing excellent qualities. He also named his cardiac defibrillator Fred, maintaining his habit of naming important things.

At their rental house, the promised key is missing. While Walt calls the realtor unsuccessfully, Jeremiah explores the backyard, which features a stream and sitting rocks. He observes teenagers Bo and Franny arguing across the street. Franny mentions something significant that happened four years ago, which saddens Bo. Jeremiah approaches their house and asks Franny for a paper clip. He introduces himself, successfully picks his front door lock, and impresses her. She tells him she is 12 and attends the middle school, where there is a sort of baseball team. When pressed for details, she seems uncertain.

Jeremiah notices a motionless dog on a nearby lawn. A neighbor Mrs. Penelope Prim explains the dog, Adler, has stayed in that spot since his owner died a year earlier, waiting for the man to return from work. Jeremiah whistles to Adler, who considers approaching him but does not.

That same day, Walt and Jeremiah attend the Hornets’ opening day game. Star pitcher Hargie Cantwell dominates with powerful strikeouts and hits a two-run homer. Jeremiah spots Franny in the crowd. Behind them, two men discuss the suspension of the Hornets’ catcher for insulting a teacher, criticizing the principal for prioritizing respectful behavior over baseball.

Despite an 11-2 lead in the final inning, Hargie throws a tantrum after surrendering a run, stomping and fuming on the mound. Coach Perkins calms him down, and Hargie settles to finish the game. The Hornets win 11-3. After the game, they eat at Junk Ball Pizza, where Hornets players receive applause and a booth stays permanently reserved for Coach Perkins. Driving home, they hear Mrs. Prim yelling at Hargie about riding his motorcycle too fast through the neighborhood. Walt observes that Hargie is wound too tight, unable to come down from the game’s intensity.

On his first day at Hillcrest Middle School, Jeremiah meets Vice Principal Hazard and Principal Selligman. When asked about a baseball team, Hazard evasively says the program is under reevaluation. In English class, Jeremiah impresses Mrs. Ogletree by accurately defining a thesis for a three-paragraph essay.

At lunch, Jeremiah finds Franny celebrating her 12th birthday with cupcakes. He meets her friend Lilah and learns Franny’s grandfather is taking her to a Cincinnati Reds game that evening. Jeremiah shares detailed baseball analysis about why the Reds will likely win.

After school, Jeremiah and Franny ride the bus home together. At their street, Jeremiah calls to Adler and whistles three times until the dog finally crosses to him. Franny’s mother, Val Engers, and grandfather, Ellis Grand, nicknamed El Grande, come outside. El Grande, a former baseball coach, is impressed when Jeremiah demonstrates extensive baseball knowledge, analyzing the Reds’ pitching matchup and roster moves. He invites Jeremiah to talk baseball again soon.

That evening, Jeremiah prepares chicken sausages with apples for dinner while contemplating essay topics. He displays his fourth-grade robotics poster featuring Jerwal, who provided emotional support during Jeremiah’s hospitalization. Jeremiah takes his daily medications on schedule.

Aunt Charity video-calls, expressing concerns about Jeremiah’s appearance, napping habits, and health. Jeremiah deflects her intrusive questions with humor until Walt takes over the conversation. After the call ends, Walt brings home SARB, an orange ball-shaped robot from work designed for search operations, but it repeatedly falls over. They test SARB on the porch while Mrs. Prim watches suspiciously through the bushes.

Walt posts a bathroom sign forbidding robots. In the bathroom mirror, Jeremiah gives himself a coaching pep talk, noting his improved appearance compared to when he was sick. He resolves to discover the truth about the middle school baseball team’s ambiguous status.

On the bus to school, Logo Larson tells Jeremiah that in Hillcrest, winning is everything and that the middle school team was winning. Then, he shrugs as the bus passes the middle school’s overgrown, unused baseball field. When Jeremiah questions Mr. Hazard again about the team, the man deflects. In science class, Logo reveals the former coach was fired for pushing too hard, explaining that nobody wanted to play anymore.

After school, Jeremiah observes four boys playing catch at the diamond. Sky, a tall pitcher, struggles with accuracy until Jeremiah advises him to release the ball earlier, and the adjustment produces an immediate strike. Two more boys arrive, making six players total.

Franny appears with Benny, an eight-year-old boy who has a disability, who becomes upset when his snack contains apples instead of oranges. Jeremiah gives Benny his orange and demonstrates an easy peeling technique, delighting the child. When Jeremiah mentions the team needs nine guys, Franny pointedly corrects him, saying they need nine people. The boys laugh when Jeremiah identifies himself as a coach but acknowledge his helpful tip improved Sky’s pitching.

Jeremiah leaves school early for his first appointment with Dr. Sarah Dugan, his new cardiologist. During the drive, Walt explains that the former middle school baseball coach, Bordin, was fired after his extreme pressure tactics caused player burnout, injuries, and parental backlash. Many kids quit, and the team dissolved.

At the hospital, Jeremiah recalls his transplant surgery. He remembers his fear in the operating room, nearly 11 months after being placed on the donor list, and how Dr. Feinberg’s calm reassurance helped him through the procedure. He felt overwhelming relief when he woke up alive. Then, Jeremiah meets Dr. Dugan and immediately likes her. He shares his medical history and dreams of running and coaching baseball, recounting a post-transplant attempt to play that ended with him getting sick from overexertion. Dr. Dugan orders blood work and requires him to wear a heart monitor for several weeks, which Jeremiah names Boxter. She tests his reflexes and has him perform simple physical activities.

Afterward, Jeremiah calls his insurance company (Walt guided him on how to do this in the past, and they take turns calling) to report the new doctor, encountering the typical billing disputes. The representative puts him on hold to consult her manager.

That evening, driving past the Hornets’ stadium, Jeremiah sees a large poster of Coach Perkins and finds himself wondering about his birth mother. At home, Walt and Jeremiah eat dinner on the porch. Adler joins them, and Benny and his mother bring welcome cookies.

A car suddenly stops in the street, honking frantically. Mrs. Prim gets out, extremely distressed, and runs toward El Grande’s house crying for help. Neighbors gather as she struggles to speak. Finally, she delivers devastating news: Hargie Cantwell collapsed and died in his garage after riding his motorcycle home from practice.

The announcement stuns everyone into silence. Bo stands speechless, Franny grabs the porch rail, and the adults react with disbelief. The neighborhood freezes in collective grief over the sudden loss of their star athlete.