Bryce Harper is the face of the Phillies franchise. Aaron Nola is the ace of the pitching staff. Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery are the budding stars from the minor league system, with the club hoping Spencer Howard and Alec Bohm follow right behind.
J.T. Realmuto, however, is as important as any player in red pinstripes this season and beyond.
Realmuto’s contract expires after this season and you could detect genuine urgency last month in GM Matt Klentak’s voice when discussing the importance of signing the club’s catcher to a long-term contract.
Manager Joe Girardi understands the physical demands on a catcher’s body. He has the scars and World Series rings to back it up. He also recognizes how critical it will be to get Realmuto regular rest during the abbreviated 2020 season, so the league’s best all-around catcher can help the Phillies make a run toward their first postseason berth since 2011.
The Phillies open their 60-game schedule July 24 against the visiting Marlins, who dealt their budding star in 2019 to Philadelphia.
The Marlins drafted Realmuto, a high school shortstop, in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft ― when Harper was taken first overall.
There were seven catchers picked ahead of Realmuto. Only two have become semi-regulars in the majors (Yasmani Grandal, Tony Wolters). Three others are no longer in organized baseball.
Realmuto’s transition from shortstop to catcher began shortly after he was drafted. His progress took off in 2016 under the watchful eye of Northampton High graduate Brian Schneider, who was promoted that year from Class A manager to Miami’s catching coach.
“He’s really good,” Schneider said. “Everyone knows that now. But when I came over, he was a project. We knew he was a good athlete, but after [manager Mike] Redman was fired, there was no one around to help him with the conversion, get rid of the bad habits.”
Schneider spent 13 seasons in the majors, including the last three in Philadelphia. He twice led the league in caught stealing percentage and stands 26th in career fielding percentage by a catcher, so there was value in being there during a crucial part of Realmuto’s development.
What also helped Realmuto was what Phillies fans and the organization saw last season.
“You could not ask for a better person,” Schneider said. “He’s a guy with all the talent and athleticism, but he made it easy on you because when you asked him to do something it was easy for him to do. And, he works hard and takes pride in what he’s doing.”
Even though Realmuto played in the majors before being in a Triple-A uniform, there were bumps in the road during his positional transformation.
There are so many technical aspects to the position that it often overwhelms even the career catcher. Realmuto was learning on the fly. He played a combined 12 innings at other positions in the minors.
“I would get on him pretty hard,” Schneider said. “But he would take it to heart, take extra practice. It’s amazing to see him now. His set-up is a little different. He sticks his leg out when blocking the ball.
“It’s not that he was ever taught to do that stuff. When he first started doing that with kicking the leg out, I’d ask him what he was doing, and he’d say his hip was sore. He was so athletic that he would try something. I’d give him a tip and he’d run with it. If it didn’t work, he knows himself.”
Realmuto threw out 17 of 64 base stealers in his first two seasons in Miami (2014-15). In 2019 with Philadelphia, he threw out an MLB-best 47%.
To his credit, the 29-year-old Oklahoma native has improved his hitting at the same time. Since he batted a combined .257 in 2014-15, he’s had nothing below .275 or less than a .771 OPS. He set career highs last season with 25 homers and 83 RBIs.
“He’s a freak athlete,” said veteran bench player Phil Gosselin, who has been in the majors with six teams including the Phillies in 2019. “There are not too many guys who can do what he does and be that fast, athletic.”
Realmuto’s value goes beyond the handling of a pitching staff, limiting opposing baserunners’ running opportunities and being a middle-of-the-lineup bat.
Realmuto, who says he would like to play in every game, and catch at least 50 of the 60 games, has grown into a leader. The Phillies need his presence to support Harper, Hoskins, Andrew McCutchen and other veterans in a clubhouse that needs leadership.
“He’s pretty old school as far as work ethic,” Schneider said. “He runs hard. He’s there on time. Those are all good parts.
“He’ll listen to the numbers, do the work. But he’s not afraid to jump someone if [that person] is not playing hard. You don’t see that much these days.”
The Phillies and their fans are hoping to see Realmuto on their side for years to come.
Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com