March 04, 2024
Kate Frese/for PhillyVoice
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 20: A photo from the Philadelphia Phillies game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 20, 2022 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. (Photo by Kate Frese/PhillyVoice)
The Phillies appear to be taking the same approach in spring training as their hungry (for hot dogs?) fans are: World Series or bust.
In back-to-back seasons, the Phillies made deep and loud postseason runs but neither has yielded a third ever championship.
Philly currently carries +1500 odds to win the World Series in 2023, the sixth best odds via FanDuel. They are second to win the NL East (+330) behind the Braves but are overwhelmingly favored to make the playoffs at -250.
Before the team hits the field against the Reds at the end of March to open their 2024 campaign, we're going to take a deep dive into each positional group.
Let's take a look at catcher to kick things off...
Bryce Harper once thought J.T. Realmuto was the best catcher in baseball. Is he still?
Well, he's about to turn 33 years old, and is about to start his 11th season in the majors. For a catcher, he is middle aged. But he hasn't yet hit a decline in production behind the plate or next to it.
A look at his numbers compared to the rest of the league's catchers last year:
| Category | Stat | C rank |
| Games at C | 133 | 1st |
| Runs scored | 70 | 5th |
| Extra base hits | 53 | 4th |
| Stolen bases | 16 | 1st |
| Slugging | .452 | 3rd |
| Fielding % | .998 | 2nd |
| Putouts at C | 1,190 | 1st |
His batting average and walk rate dipped just a bit, but the power, defense and sneaky base-running ability is still there. He hit a homer in his 2024 spring debut and will once again offer the Phillies the same sort of advantage at catcher they've had now for five seasons — which have seen Realmuto earn two All-Star berths, two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves.
Alongside backup Garrett Stubbs, the Phillies had the third highest WAR at the catcher spot last season, via baseball- reference. Realmuto also offers manager Rob Thomson the ability to literally hit him anywhere in the batting order, as he can flash speed, power or reliability throughout the lineup.
Realmuto is still the among the absolute best at what he does, and we have no hesitation placing him at the top of the NL East pecking order (projections and WAR courtesy of baseball-reference).
| Team | Catcher (age) | 2023 stats | 2024 proj | Career WAR |
| Phillies | J.T. Realmuto (32) | .252, 20 HR, 63 RBI | .269, 19 HR, 69 RBI | 33.3 |
| Braves | Sean Murphy (29) | .251, 21 HR, 58 RBI | .245, 18 HR, 63 RBI | 11.9 |
| Mets | Francisco Alvarez (22) | .209, 25 HR, 63 RBI | .232, 22 HR, 60 RBI | 1.0 |
| Marlins | Christian Bethancourt (32) | .225, 11 HR, 33 RBI | .239, 14 HR, 32 RBI | 0.8 |
| Nationals | Kiebert Ruiz (25) | .260, 18 HR, 67 RBI | .253, 15 HR, 60 RBI | 3.5 |
Murphy returns to the defending NL East champion Braves boasting similar offensive numbers to Realmuto while the rest of the division is going the inexperienced route — the Marlins will likely split time between veteran Bethancourt and Nick Fortes. Ruiz will start once again for the Nationals with high expectations.
Rafael Marchan, 25 now, remains with the Phillies, and with one option remaining he'll start the year in Triple-A. He is the third catcher on the team's depth chart and could serve as a trade piece this summer.
The next name of the future to know behind the plate is Eduardo Tait, just 17 and signed out of Panama. FanGraphs already has the powerful lefty slated as the No. 6 prospect in the farm system:
The physical young catcher already has nearly average raw power, which is incredible considering he only turned 17 in late August. He’s chase-prone, which hasn’t yet had a meaningful impact on his ability to make contact but might as Tait faces more advanced pitching. He also has lots to work on defensively, right on down to the way he crouches, but that’s typical of a catcher this age. [FanGraphs]The Phils won't have anything to worry about for a little while at backstop.
