Philadelphia Phillies: J.T. Realmuto primed for his greatest season in 2021

We’ve barely scratched the surface of the 2021 Philadelphia Phillies season, but J.T. Realmuto continues to deliver everything the team could have hoped for. And a special thank you goes out to the New York Mets, who chose to spend free agent dollars on James McCann, leaving the door open for Realmuto to return to the Phillies on a long-term contract last offseason.

Thank you very much.

We were all on edge that the Phillies would cite cash issues and fail to re-sign Realmuto, but things appear to have worked out beautifully thus far, even with J.T. having to overcome a spring thumb injury. Yet, maybe that will actually work to his advantage. After all, did he even need much of a spring training? When you’re the consensus best catcher in the league, not really. Rest is more of a priority than reps at that point.

To this end, the fact that Realmuto only had to sit behind the plate for 36 games during last year’s abbreviated season after averaging 123.6 games caught over the five years prior to that is likely to work in his favor during this, his age-30 season.

All signs are pointing toward Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto having a career year in 2021.

In fact, the roughly 700 fewer innings that Realmuto caught last year as opposed to what he would during a normal season probably has helped him to extend his eventual shelf life as an MLB player by another year, making his 5-year contract with the Phillies even more palatable for the team than it would have been otherwise. Perhaps the team will eventually get even more bang for its buck once the National League finally wises up and goes to a full-time Designated Hitter, allowing them to keep Realmuto’s bat in the lineup a few extra times per month rather than giving him a complete day off. But that’s a story for another time.

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Instead, look at the evidence presented to us for 2021, some of which has already been on display during the first week-plus of games.

Realmuto finds himself hitting behind a seemingly rejuvenated Rhys Hoskins and on-base machine Bryce Harper, giving him ample RBI opportunities and forcing opponents to actually pitch to him. With Alec Bohm hitting behind him most games, Realmuto has an added layer of protection. Once he reaches base, Realmuto isn’t the normal base-clogging catcher, as he possesses elite speed. And not just relative to catchers, as he’s rated in the top 100 across all of MLB in sprint speed for his entire career. Simply put, he’s an excellent athlete who is still right at the peak of his abilities.

Realmuto’s competitive nature also can’t be overlooked, as he’s yet to appear in an MLB postseason game. It’s a goal that he is singularly focused on, now that things like “playing for a new contract” are out of the way. Basically, nobody should be expecting J.T. Realmuto to become complacent now that he’s earned the big payday that all pro athletes dream of. He still has a lot left to prove, and that means translating his individual accomplishments into more team success. The Phillies stand to reap rewards over the lifetime of his deal, as long as other players hold up their ends of the bargain as well.

J.T. Realmuto won’t be able to work miracles in Philadelphia over the next half-decade. But he will be able to provide elite production both offensively and defensively from the catcher position. He’s currently the best in the league at what he does, something that should continue for the next few years before he ages gracefully and remains an impact player by the time his contract winds down.

Next. Hoskins is the Phillies' biggest difference maker. dark

And in this, the inaugural year of his new pact with the Philadelphia Phillies, everything seems aligned for J.T. Realmuto to deliver the best season yet in what could end up being a Hall of Fame career.

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