Phillies 2026 Previews: Can J.T. Realmuto Continue ‘Freak of Nature’ Workload?
J.T. Realmuto became the most obvious microcosm of the “run it back” criticism that fueled fan frustration entering the 2026 season. The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed a declining offensive player on…
J.T. Realmuto became the most obvious microcosm of the “run it back” criticism that fueled fan frustration entering the 2026 season.
The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed a declining offensive player on a three-year, $45 million contract that’ll take him through his age 37 season at the most physically demanding position in baseball.
How will the unusual decision impact their pursuit of an elusive World Series title?
A Unique Offseason for J.T. Realmuto
Realmuto has spent over 1000 more innings behind the plate than any other MLB catcher since joining the Phillies in 2019. He self-evaluated as a free agent based on the idea that his workload reflects on excellent athleticism that he’s preserved and invaluable durability that will continue at age 35.
His pushback against the idea of wear and tear subtracting from a catcher’s value on the open market could set precedent for future arbitration cases and free agent negotiations.
“I’m in a weird spot. For me, it sucks that in my opinion, catchers are just undervalued in this game as far as contracts and dollars go. I truly believe it’s one of, if not the most important position on the field. I just enjoy fighting for that. I believe in that value. The Phillies did for a long time. I know they believe in it as well. It’s just the dollars looked different.”
-J.T. Realmuto
Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty ImagesRealmuto finished the 2025 season with a 91 OPS+, the first time he’s finished below the 100 MLB median since his first full-time MLB season in 2015.
The Phillies planned to limit Realmuto’s workload in 2025 with the theoretical hope it would preserve his offense late in the season. The plan didn’t materialize, as Realmuto led the league in innings among catchers once again. The club saw the impact of the workload about as tangibly as they possibly could have when their catcher posted an ugly .556 OPS in September.
While his offense has unquestionably declined, the Phillies still have a solid positional value in their lineup relative to the scarcity of offensive catchers around the majors. He’ll also benefit from hitting in the bottom half of the order most of the season.
| J.T. Realmuto | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage | Slugging Percentage | OPS+ | Home Runs |
| 2019 | .275 | .328 | .493 | 109 | 25 |
| 2020 | .266 | .349 | .491 | 124 | 11* |
| 2021 | .263 | .343 | .439 | 110 | 17 |
| 2022 | .276 | .342 | .478 | 130 | 22 |
| 2023 | .252 | .310 | .452 | 105 | 20 |
| 2024 | .266 | .322 | .429 | 107 | 14 |
| 2025 | .257 | .315 | .384 | 91 | 12 |
Numbers Don't Quantify Realmuto's Value
The larger questions are about his workload and defensive value. Realmuto’s ability to call games and manage pregame scouting fuels the pitching staff unlike any other catcher in the major leagues. WAR and other advanced metrics simply can’t quantify his skills.
The Phillies rode the best starting rotation in the majors to a fourth consecutive playoff berth in 2025. They enter this season with more question marks on the staff. The decision to retain J.T. Realmuto had as much to do with maintaining the strength of their National League East champion club as it did with offense from the catcher’s spot in the lineup in 2026.
“It seems like we talk about J.T.’s starts every year. Again, it all depends on how he looks and how he feels. He’s been very honest with me, so I don’t want to put a number on it. I think I put a number on it last year. We went over that just because he’s such a great athlete. He’s a freak. He’s always in great shape. He takes care of his body.”
-Rob Thomson
All stats courtesy of StatCast, Baseball Reference, and FanGraphs. WAR formula from Baseball Reference.
