Rumors of J.T. Realmuto's demise -- in a baseball sense, that is -- were greatly exaggerated.
Since the start of July 1, Realmuto has re-established himself as not only the best catcher in baseball, but one of the sport's most complete stars.
Over that period, Realmuto is slashing .329/.382/.624 with nine home runs, 35 RBIs and a 1.006 OPS. Realmuto's 2.9 fWAR over that period is the highest mark among all catchers, and fourth among all position players, trailing only Aaron Judge, Nolan Arenado and Mookie Betts.
What's been the key to Realmuto turning what once felt like a relatively disappointing season into one of the finest of his career?
"It's confidence and getting needed rest -- he looks really fresh right now," interim manager Rob Thomson said after Saturday's win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, where Realmuto delivered a three-run double. "He's swinging the bat well, he's catching well and he's leading well, so that's really good."
Catching is such a demanding position that it's rare when you see a player at that position, especially one that is 31, get better as the season goes along. But Realmuto is bucking that trend. After slashing .252/.323/.399 in the first half of the regular season, Realmuto is slashing .327/.388/.618 since the All-Star Break.
And it's not just at the plate that Realmuto is thriving. He's 16 for 16 in stolen base attempts this season. He's thrown out 39% of would-be basestealers in 2022. He's been worth eight defensive runs saved this season, as compared to -1 between the last two seasons.
With the addition of Garrett Stubbs, the Phillies haven't seen as drastic of a dropoff on days that Realmuto is off. He missed two games in Toronto in July because he's unvaccinated. He wasn't voted to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2017 (there wasn't a game in 2020). Neither are ideal, but there's probably a lesson to be learned about how Realmuto has performed since getting a good chunk of rest in the middle of the season.
A knee injury ended Realmuto's 2019 season prematurely. In 2020, he dealt with a left hip injury down the stretch of the pandemic-shortened season. A year ago, Realmuto managed a right shoulder injury as the Phillies tried to reach the postseason. This time around, Thomson believes the catcher is healthier than he's been late in any of the past few seasons.
"I think so, yeah," Thomson admitted. "The last couple years he had kind of nagging injuries. He's healthy right now and looks like the J.T. that we know."
Realmuto won a Gold Glove in 2019 and has two Silver Sluggers on his resume. He's going to be a candidate for both awards again this year. The only thing missing from Realmuto's resume is a playoff appearance, as he's never played in the postseason with either the Phillies or Miami Marlins.
Realmuto and teammate Jean Segura are the current active leaders in regular season games played without reaching the playoffs. With September approaching, the Phillies are 72-56 and in control of the second Wild Card spot in the National League. The Phillies will have to exorcise some demons in September, but even Thomson admitted that he thinks players like Realmuto are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
"I do," Thomson said Saturday. "We’ve played so well that they feel it – they can taste it. And so, they’re grinding for it and they want it. It’s a good feeling to have, because we’ve got a good ballclub and we’re playing well and they’re hungry. So, can’t ask for anything more than that."
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