This was supposed to be the year the Miami Marlins brought all of their youth together and challenged for a playoff spot. 2015 hasn’t quite started out that way. Perhaps, J.T. Realmuto can change that trend.
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When Marlins’ catcher Jeff Mathis hit the disabled list on Monday, the Marlins called up top offensive prospect J.T. Realmuto. Realmuto is the No. 2 prospect in the Marlins system behind pitcher Tyler Kolek and is considered one of the premier catching prospects in the game.
It's a Pipeline party in Miami! @Marlins call up Nos. 2, 3 prospects @JTRealmuto & Jose Urena: http://t.co/ZZRmyDGDYx pic.twitter.com/3yZZrKdn5I
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 13, 2015
The 24-year old backstop was drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft. He threw together his best year in 2014 for the Jacksonville Suns in the Double-A Southern League. He slashed .299/.369/.461 behind 8 home runs, 62 RBI and an uncharacteristic 18 stolen bases. He earned both Mid and Post-Season All Star honors in the Southern League as well as a Player of the Week Award. The Marlins were so pleased with his season, that he bypassed Triple-A and made his big league debut at the end of 2014.
Realmuto never played catcher until the Marlins selected him in the draft and converted him. Since then he has become a solid option behind the plate, which speaks volumes about Realmuto’s work ethic. He has a huge arm and gets rid of the ball quickly, which is evidenced by a nearly 40 percent career caught stealing ratio. As a gifted and pure athlete, he works well with starting rotations in the minors as he has their trust in his abilities.
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The No. 70 prospect in all of baseball (according to MLB Pipeline) will never be a huge power hitter, especially in the big leagues. But he does have a balanced attack at the plate which converts to many gappers and extra base hits. He has 78 doubles and 12 triples in his 426 career minor league hits.
Mathis is expected to be out for four to six weeks with a fractured finger. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is all that stands in front of Realmuto as the starting option in Miami. Salty is not an elite fielder, nor does his current .118 batting average intimidate many opposing pitching staffs. Realmuto won’t be able to turn around the Marlins’ early offensive woes all by himself, but he certainly has the chance to provide a spark and earn his spot as the Marlins’ backstop of the future.