Entering June, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto was batting .222 with a .654 OPS and 50 strikeouts through 48 games.
On Tuesday, Realmuto hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning en route to a 6-4 Phillies win over the Seattle Mariners, securing a series win for the club.
It was just the latest highlight for Realmuto, who’s been on a tear following his two-month-long slump to begin the 2025 campaign.
Since June 1, the veteran backstop has slashed .321/.360/.434 with 15 doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI. His recent hot streak has raised his season average to .276, which is quite an accomplishment considering where he was offensively just a few months ago.
At 34, it was fair to question whether Realmuto was nearing the end of his career. He’s played 1,248 games behind the plate and dealt with a knee injury last season that sidelined him for over a month.
However, the two-time Gold Glove Award winner continues to defy Father Time as one of the most athletic catchers in the game. His 940 putouts are first in the National League, and he has caught 21 runners stealing this season.
Realmuto is in the final year of a five-year, $115.5M contract extension he signed in January 2021. He joined the Phillies via trade from the Miami Marlins in February 2019, earning two All-Star Game appearances and two Silver Slugger Awards during his seven-year tenure in Philadelphia.
He has turned it around at the right time for the Phillies. If Realmuto can continue to produce offensively down the stretch and into the postseason, he may play his way into another contract extension.
