Philadelphia Phillies: J.T. Realmuto has been worth the price of admission
While he certainly cost a lot to acquire, J.T. Realmuto has already been worth the price of admission for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Boy, how good has J.T. Realmuto been for the Philadelphia Phillies so far this season?
I mean granted, it shouldn’t be too surprising that he’s shined with the rapidly ascending squad, as Realmuto is among the best catchers in all of baseball, both offensively and defensively, but still, it’s always nice to see a trade work out right away, and looking like a real ‘home run’ (I’m so sorry).
So far this season, Realmuto has scored four runs on three hits and a home run in only nine trips to the plate, while batting in the fifth spot.
More from Philadelphia Phillies
- The Real Reason Behind Trea Turner’s Recent Hot Streak
- VIDEO: Bryce Harper Hustles for Inside-the-Park Home Run vs. Giants
- Phillies Fans Let Ex-Manager Gabe Kapler Hear It in First Inning
- Andrew Knapp Finds New MLB Home With AL Contender
- VIDEO: Phillies Send Touching Message to Media Little League Team Before World Series
Now those numbers aren’t particularly mind-boggling, I mean, he’s no Maikel Franco, but they are impressive none the less, especially when paired with his deceptively solid performances behind the bag.
Granted, for the casual baseball fan, differentiating a good catcher from a great catcher is like identifying a good screen setter in basketball or a quality center in football, but on a team like the Phillies built around a powerful offensive assault, finding a power-hitting catcher capable of playing superb defense is increasingly hard to come by.
I mean think about it; in three games of action, Realmuto has already picked off three runners attempting to steal a base, the best mark in the entire MLB.
For a team as obsessed with advanced statistics and Sabermetrics as this iteration of the Phillies, those free outs are as good as gold.
And the best part? Realmuto is just 28, and under contract for the next two seasons.
Sure, it’s never fun to flip not one, not two, but four young prospects for a non-superstar player, but Realmuto has been among the best catchers in the entirety of baseball, with the potential to be even better now that he’s on a better team.
Last season, Realmuto hit the fourth most home runs (21), the fourth most RBIs (74), and the most hits of any catcher in the league while filling the two-hole in the Marlins‘ meager offensive assault, which is pretty incredible when you consider that Miami scored the fewest runs (589) of any team in baseball while also hitting the fewest RBIs in the league.
The Phillies, on the other hand, are on pace to have one of the most potent offensive attacks in MLB history with 432 home runs and 1,242 RBIs if they continue to hit 2.6 HRs and 7.6 RBIs a game (they probably won’t).
dark. Next. Bryce Harper facing former team first time brings extra pressure for Phillies
But that’s the beauty of adding a player like J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies: he can thrive in a lesser role. Now bounced down into the RBI-rich fifth hole in the heart of the order, Realmuto should be able to exceed his 2018 production and establish himself as the league’s premier two-way catcher.