The Real Deal

Since his first full major league season in 2015, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto ranks first in MLB at the position in hits, runs, doubles, triples, stolen bases and total bases. Factor in his durability, team ethic, time spent poring over scouting reports and insistence on getting in his post-game workout even after he’s spent nine innings sweating behind the plate on hot summer nights, and it’s no wonder he engenders such respect in the clubhouse.

“I always liked watching him from the other side,’’ said Phillies starter Zack Wheeler. “Once I got a chance to sign here and pitch to him for the next five years, that was awesome to me. He’s everything you want in a baseball player, put into a catcher.’’

Realmuto is a three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner and a two-time Gold Glove recipient, with some splashy achievements on his resume. In 2015, he achieved the rare feat of an outside- and inside-the-park home run in the same game against Milwaukee. In 2023, he became the 17th catcher in MLB history to hit for the cycle.

In August, Realmuto achieved a personal milestone when he joined the roughly 7-8 percent of the 23,000-plus players in MLB history to reach 10 years of service. He reflected on his career in a recent conversation with the MLBPA.

What did it mean to you to reach 10 years?

When you first get to the big leagues, you hear a lot about how hard it is to get to 10 years. I watched Martin Prado and Jeff Mathis achieve their 10 years when I was with the Marlins, and I remember back then thinking, ‘That’s incredible how hard it is to do -- the perseverance you have to have as a baseball player to play that long.’ Mentally and physically, in my opinion, catcher is the toughest position on the field. To be able to grind through 10 years and stay relatively healthy, it’s something I take pride in and continue to do so.

Where do you rank on the list of famous people from Del City, Oklahoma?

My uncle John Smith was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in wrestling. He's from there. I actually grew up in Del City and then moved to Midwest City, which is the town over, around middle school. Matt Kemp grew up in Midwest City. So that’s two pretty good athletes from that area.

Your given name is Jacob Tyler. Does anyone call you Jacob?

My whole family does. My wife, my parents, my brother, sisters. Basically, anybody that knew me as a child always called me Jacob, and I was J.T. in the sports and my friends’ world. If I hear Jacob Tyler, that's when I know someone is mad. That's when I know either Lexi, my wife, is mad at me, or my parents are upset. They always throw the middle name in there.

You came from an athletic family and played multiple sports in high school. Would you recommend that as a route for budding athletes?

I think it's different for everyone. For me, I always enjoyed playing the other sports. I had friends’ groups in basketball and football, and I wouldn't have gotten to build those relationships and enjoy playing with them through high school. And it just helped me to be a better, well-rounded athlete. I wrestled growing up. I played tennis and basketball and football. Anything I could play, I tried to play.

Baseball is a big fundamental sport, so later on in life, I had to really work on the fundamentals and get those down. There's an advantage to some kids who specialize early, because they have the fundamentals a little earlier on. For me, I think athleticism is an important factor. It's hard to get that without playing the other sports as well.

You played with Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and other future All-Stars in the Marlins organization, and you developed an early bond with Jose Fernandez (before his death in 2016). How important was that relationship for the two of you as young players?

Jose was always a ton of fun to catch. Everybody loved watching him pitch. He had that charisma about him where he enjoyed the game, and that's really how he was in life away from the field. He was fun, energetic, always happy to see you, always with a smile on his face. I had a close bond with Jose, and he taught me a lot as far as how to catch, and kind of manage and call the game. He had a competitive attitude on the mound, but he always had fun while he was doing it.

He was always the guy in the clubhouse laughing and talking even after a tough loss. He would lighten the mood and be the guy to help everybody relax and remember that we're just playing the game and we're here to have fun. If you can't do that, what are we doing here?

You made your MLB debut with the Marlins in 2014 when Jarrod Saltalamacchia suffered a concussion, but you were back in the minors two weeks later. How chaotic an introduction was that?

I got called up and the team was in Miami. So I called my parents, and my family gets on a plane and leaves Oklahoma to come watch me play. My parents. My sisters. My brother. My whole family. And it was funny because were home for two games and I didn't play either game. I felt terrible that they spent all this money to come watch me make my debut, and I didn't play.

Luckily, we were on the road in Tampa the next day, and it was close enough where they could drive and watch me play. I had a two-RBI single up the middle off Jake Odorizzi, and I remember feeling the weight of the world come off my shoulders. Nobody wants to be the player that takes 20-30 at-bats to get their first hit.

You occasionally hear the phrase that someone is “fast for a catcher.’’ But you’re actually fast. Every year, you lead the Statcast rankings for the position. Do you think your speed sets you apart from some other catchers?

Not to be rude, but most catchers are a little slower-footed. Growing up as a shortstop and playing other sports, I was always a fast athlete and I could run well. So when the Marlins decided to make me a catcher, I think they saw that as an attribute of mine that could separate me from other catchers -- that I was going to be athletic back there and be able to run the bases as well.

Catchers absorb so much punishment day after day. Do you recall any shots through the years where the pain reached a whole different level?

It happens at least once every couple of weeks, where I take a foul ball and I wonder, ‘What am I doing back here, just taking a beating all this time?’ I constantly have bruises on my thighs from foul tips, or I’m taking balls off the throat or getting hit in the cup. I’m thinking, ‘This is terrible.’ But there's so much pride with catching and so much fun that comes with the job. You’re just going to have to take a little extra beating to man that position.

Do catchers have conversations about the occupational hazards of the position?

Garrett Stubbs and I have conversations where we say, ‘You’re gonna have to carry us off the field to get us out of the game.’ He definitely takes pride in that. I've seen him take beatings behind the plate, and he always stays in no matter what. He fouled a ball off his kneecap in a game and he could barely walk, and he still finished the nine innings. It's just something about catchers that we take pride in -- being able to man your position, take a beating, still be there for your teammates, still finish the game. We need to be the toughest guys on the field, because we have to be prepared to take some shots not everybody has to take.

What means more to you -- having won two Gold Gloves or three Silver Slugger Awards?

It's a great question. They both mean a lot to me, for sure, but just winning the Gold Glove at that position is extremely difficult to do. The catcher means so much to the team defensively, and being able to call the game and receive and throw well can help the team so much. It’s one of the most important positions on the field defensively. So being able to win the Gold Glove meant a lot to me in my career.

In a 2018 interview, Yadier Molina said,  ‘As a catcher, you observe other catchers in the league, and you see the way he plays. J.T. has got it all. I've been a big fan of J.T. for a long time.’ Are you aware of that quote, and if so, what did it mean to you?

I absolutely remember that quote because Yadi is the catcher I looked up to my whole career. I watched him when I was in high school and the minor leagues, learning to catch. I would watch his video all the time. I watched how he led his team, how his teammates spoke about him, and how they admired the way he went about his business and called the game. He's a guy I tried to emulate my game after, so I can remember getting that quote from him.

You’ve been in Philadelphia since 2019 and played with Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola and the same core of players for several years. What has that meant to your career?

The guys in this clubhouse all get along really well -- not just on the field, but we hang out all the time off the field. We have a bond and genuinely enjoy each other's company. It's a lot easier to get through tough spells when you have guys that have your back and care for you. We genuinely want each other to do well and to succeed for the good of the team. We're not out there playing for ourselves and the stats on our baseball cards.

Every guy in that clubhouse has one goal in mind, and that's to win a baseball game that day. When you have that type of bond. It just makes everything easier, because this is a tough job. It's a tough life. There's a lot of failure in this sport. To have those guys to lean on and to call friends makes all the difference in the season.

As a small-town kid from Oklahoma, what has your experience been like playing in Philadelphia?

It's been amazing, getting to experience the energy that this crowd brings, night in and night out. They have so much passion for this sport, this team, this city. They want to win, and they want to go about it the right way. And they want effort. They want grit. They want guys to go out there every day and give their all. And if we don't do that, they let us know, and that's part of it.

Coming to play in Philadelphia, you know you're going to get some boos when you don't play well. But they're going to cheer the heck out of you when you do play well, and they're going to have your back. That's something we've all grown to appreciate. Honestly, coming to Philly can be a little intimidating for some guys, because they know the passion these fans have. There's not an athlete that steps in this dugout that doesn't get booed at some point, and that's just part of it. So you have to be able to embrace that. We even have that conversation with new free agents or players that come up through the minor leagues. We tell them, ‘Hey, just know that when they're booing you, they love you.’

They have a high standard. And we appreciate it because we have a high standard in this dugout. There's a handful of times when we're in there booing ourselves. Being able to play in front of a fan base that genuinely cares, I'll take that any day over a fan base that barely shows up, but is always happy and never boos you. I want the passion. I love being here and feeling the energy of this crowd.