Phillies should be embarrassed over J.T. Realmuto being lone All-Star for 2019

With the current lineup the Philadelphia Phillies have to work with, the team should be embarrassed to see J.T. Realmuto being their lone All-Star for 2019.

From a talent perspective, who would have thought with all the player currently on the Philadelphia Phillies roster, J.T. Realmuto would end up being the only one heading to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland?

Between the addition of Bryce Harper this offseason to a stellar pitcher who continues to improve each season with experience in Aaron Nola, most baseball fans assumed the Phillies would send a few representatives to the game taking place on July 9.

Instead, the fact that Philadelphia will only see Realmuto heading to Cleveland basically sums up how the team has struggled to live up to the hype in 2019, as they currently trail the Atlanta Braves by 5.5 games for first place in the NL East.

Over the first month or so, the Phillies appeared to be living up to the high expectations in regards to being a top contender in the National League, but the month of June made it clear this team still has a long way to go when it comes to proving themselves.

Take a look at last week for example when Philadelphia was trying to overcome a seven-game losing streak before winning a four-game series over the New York Mets, and it shows what kind of season it’s been for Gabe Kapler‘s squad.

Back in the offseason, the acquisition of Realmuto was considered one of the most underrated moves to provide the Phillies with a catcher they desperately needed, and there’s no doubt he deserves the honors of playing for the National League in Cleveland.

But unfortunately, the fact that Realmuto ended up being the only one worthy of a roster spot is the perfect example of the work in progress this Phililes team appears to be, and they have a lot of work on their plates for the final few months.

Anything short of reaching the playoffs this season will be considered a major failure for Philadelphia, and while it will certainly be fun to watch Realmuto in action next week, the situation in general is still frustrating.

Nothing against the other players that earned the honors like Realmuto, but if the Phillies were actually living up to the hype, chances are they would be sending more than one All-Star to Cleveland, which is beyond frustrating to think about.