PHILADELPHIA — After off-season chatter about getting J.T. Realmuto some more time off, the Phillies have not executed their plan.
Realmuto missed several months in 2024 due to an in-season right knee meniscectomy surgery. Combined with a hitless NLDS, the club’s catcher was giving signs of slowing down. In response, Dave Dombrowski and Rob Thomson spoke quite often about giving their longtime backup some time off his feet.
A corresponding roster battle between Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan played out in Spring Training. The battle was not only a competition against one another, but a chance to prove that the winner could fill Realmuto’s shoes during the regular season.
As for their plans on getting Realmuto off his feet, a mixture of first base, designated hitting, and even the outlandish idea of playing the outfield was thrown out there in regards to the Phillies’ catcher. The expectation was that even in a contract year, the team would take a more cautious approach with the 34-year-old.
Realmuto Keeps Catching
Much like we have seen in seasons past, the Phillies have a workhorse at the catcher position.
Since joining the team in 2019, the Phils’ catcher has caught the most innings in baseball. He has caught more than 1,000 more innings than the next closest catcher (Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers). This does not include innings caught in the postseason.
By the conclusion of the Phillies’ 36th game in 2024, Realmuto had started 31 games behind the plate. In 2025, it took one extra game, 37, for Realmuto to record his 31st start as a catcher. The difference in the two was an outing that Realmuto DH’d for the Phillies. Aside from that one particular game, not much has changed.
His production offensively has taken a hit, and Realmuto is second in all of Major League Baseball in GIDP (grounded into double play) with 9. He also has one of the more unusual splits in all of baseball this season. As a right-handed batter, you would expect Realmuto’s numbers against left-handed pitching to be strong. However, he is hitting .035 on the season (1 for 29) against lefties. He is hitting .307 (27 for 88) against right-handers.
What’s The Fix?
It would benefit the Phillies and their catcher if he got a few extra days off in the coming weeks. Rafael Marchan is catching roughly once a week so far this season. If Rob Thomson can uptick that to an extra game or two every few weeks, it could be to their benefit.
Marchan often starts the Sunday afternoon games after a night game. Sticking with that routine and maybe sliding him in against a left-handed starter during the week might bring some better offense to the table. Marchan is a switch-hitter, but has fared better against left-handers in his brief big-league experience.
Making this move could help get the backup catcher a chance to find a bit of a rhythm at the plate while also giving Realmuto some time off his feet. In turn, the Phillies would hope to see a boost in their starter’s offense, with his tremendous defense continuing to shine.
With Realmuto’s contract expiring at season’s end, it would not hurt them to find out what they have in Marchan. This could be a slight glimpse into that future.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
