Inside The Phillies

Red-Hot Philadelphia Phillies Star Sets Franchise Record

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto set a new franchise record against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Tyler Maher

May 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10).
May 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10). / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

For nearly a decade, J.T. Realmuto has been one of the best catchers in baseball. Before the Philadelphia Phillies traded for him in early 2019, he was already an established star with the Miami Marlins. He's accomplished a lot throughout his 11-year career with three All-Star nods, three Silver Sluggers and a pair of Gold Glove awards.

Not surprisingly, Realmuto has continued to thrive with the Phillies, helping transform them from an also-ran, into a World Series contender. Since joining Philadelphia prior to the 2019 season, he's amassed 21.0 WAR, 102 home runs, 64 stolen bases and a .268/.332/.467 batting line entering play on Tuesday.

Now 33 years old, Realmuto is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, he's as stellar as ever, posting the second-highest batting average of his career.

His impressive hit total has played a large part in that, especially in May. During Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Realmuto led off the top of the sixth with a ringing double to center field off former teammate Spencer Howard.

Realmuto's eighth two-bagger of the season extended his hitting streak to 17 games, setting a new franchise record for the longest hitting streak ever by a Phillies catcher.

Unfortunately, Realmuto got thrown out on the next play, squandering a chance to score the game's first run. Still, it doesn't change the fact that Realmuto hasn't gone hitless since May 3, batting .351 with eight extra-base hits and 12 runs scored during that stretch.

The veteran backstop now has at least one hit in 20 of his last 21 games and 25 of his last 27, so he's been swinging a hot bat for over a month. His heater has coincided with Philadelphia's, as the team has been winning games at a historic pace since mid-April.

Realmuto made history last week as well, launching the 14,000th home run in Phillies history with a solo homer against the Texas Rangers last Wednesday.

It can be easy to overlook Realmuto's quiet consistency, especially with some of his teammates putting up flashier numbers. That said, Realmuto's record hitting streak is a reminder that he's still one of the best catchers in baseball.

Published
Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

Home/News