Phillies Catcher J.T. Realmuto Named to 2019 All-MLB First Team
By Matt Rappa
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto has been named to the inaugural All-MLB First Team, another honor for him after just his first season in red pinstripes.
First, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto was named an All-Star; then, shortly after his first season in red pinstripes, he was the recipient of the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards.
Recognition for the six-year veteran does not end there.
On Tuesday at the Winter Meetings, Realmuto was named to Major League Baseball’s first-ever All-MLB Team as being recognized as the best catcher in baseball.
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Voting for the All-MLB team was split 50-50 between fans and a panel of experts. Nominees, including Realmuto, were selected by merit, “with no set number of nominees per position and no distinction between leagues,” according to MLB.com.
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince describes the awards as being “a more accurate representation of the best of the best of the 2019 season,” in comparison to All-Star Game voting only taking into account the first half of the season. He continues, “Baseball had never before had an official star squad that salutes a full season’s worth of work the way other major professional sports do.”
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In the article, Castrovince identifies Realmuto as the Phillies’ “key trade acquisition,” and a “defensive dynamo who exploded offensively in the second half.”
Other players named to the All-MLB First Team include: 1B: Pete Alonso, Mets; 2B: DJ LeMahieu, Yankees; 3B: Anthony Rendon, Nationals; SS: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox; OF: Mike Trout, Angels;
OF: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers; OF: Christian Yelich, Brewers; DH: Nelson Cruz, Twins; SP: Gerrit Cole, Astros; SP: Justin Verlander, Astros; SP: Jacob deGrom, Mets; SP: Max Scherzer, Nationals; SP: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals; RP: Kirby Yates, Padres; and RP: Josh Hader, Brewers.
No Phillies were named to the All-MLB Second Team.