Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking possible J.T. Realmuto landing spots
By Nick Stevens
Will one of these three teams be the lucky organization to land prized Philadelphia Phillies free agent J.T. Realmuto this winter?
Ask anyone who the top available MLB free agent this offseason is and many would point to National League Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. That’s a great choice, but the true top talent available on the market is Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old backstop has been the league’s top catcher half a decade now, and it isn’t even close.
More importantly, he’s one of the top overall talents baseball has to offer right now, possessing a bat every team wants in their lineup, premier defense behind the plate, and even a little speed on the basepaths.
Among MLB catchers, Realmuto’s abilities on the bases are unmatched. Ranking in the 84th percentile in sprint speed, according to Baseball Savant, it’s just another tool in his extensive toolbox that separates him from other catchers in the game. His 36 stolen bases since 2016 top the leaderboard for catchers, 14 ahead of Yadier Molina who sits in second place.
Looking at where J.T. Realmuto ranks among the greats since his breakout 2016 season with the Miami Marlins, Realmuto ranks 19th in the majors in fWAR (18.8) and has routinely put up the type of numbers you don’t expect from a catcher.
With a career slash line of .278/.328/.455, 95 home runs, and a 109 wRC+, the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner owns a career strikeout rate under 20% and he’s seen an uptick in his ability to draw a walk over the last few seasons, adding yet another benefit to his offensive game.
Defensively, Realmuto has thrown out 36% of would-be base stealers, about 10% above league-average and he’s one of the top framers in the game. We can go on and on, but you get the idea.
The big question now is, where will he suit up in 2021? With free agency now underway, let’s take a look at the three teams most likely to sign J.T. Realmuto in the coming weeks.