Philadelphia Phillies fans have had a couple of weeks now to come to terms with the way the offseason has gone. From losing out on Bo Bichette to pivoting back to good ol' J.T. Realmuto, January didn't quite play out how many of us imagined it was going to or wanted it to.
When the Phillies re-signed Realmuto just hours after Bichette chose the New York Mets, the front office was lambasted by many fans for forking over $45 million over three years to a catcher who will turn 35 before Opening Day. Regardless of how good Realmuto has been for the Phillies in the past, he's not that same player, at least with the bat.
Coming off the worst offensive season of his career, Realmuto still cashed in this winter and remains one of the highest-paid catchers in the majors. However, as MLB Network released its rankings of the Top 10 catchers heading into the 2026 season, courtesy of "The Shredder," the Phillies’ backstop is nowhere to be found.
J.T. Realmuto didn't even make MLB Network's Top 10 catcher rankings after signing a $45 million deal with the Phillies
Topped by the Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh, unsurprisingly, and including names like the Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras (No. 2) and Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 3), Realmuto’s time as one of MLB’s premiere catchers is over.
If we’re being honest, he hasn’t been up there for a few years now. From 2021 to 2023, Realmuto was MLB Network's No. 1 catcher. Now he's not even in the top 10.
Here is how The Shredder lined up the #Top10RightNow behind the plate! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/QC0lc3jHJF
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 3, 2026
Realmuto still rates as one of the top catchers at controlling the running game, with the fastest pop time to second last year. However, his blocking and framing leave much to be desired.
Aside from his arm, the Phillies obviously point to Realmuto's importance to the pitching staff behind the plate as a big factor in retaining him this offseason, and that’s difficult to argue against. However, it’s still something that fans can’t tangibly see on a day-to-day basis. But what they can see is his production at the plate.
Realmuto struggled to get much going with the bat in 2025, scuffling to a .257 average and a .700 OPS (89 OPS+) with just 12 home runs and 52 RBIs, despite playing in 134 games.
Following an All-Star 2021 season and a 2022 campaign that saw Realmuto earn a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger while finishing seventh in NL MVP voting, it's been a downhill slide. From 2023 through 2025, he has hit .257 with a .736 OPS (100 OPS+). That OPS ranks 13th among qualified catchers, as does his 6.1 fWAR.
In case you missed it, Realmuto's $15 million per season deal could even increase to $20 million per year if he reaches certain performance thresholds. While $20 million for Realmuto seems like an absurd number, and it is (heck even $15 million seems wild), if he does activate those bonuses, it will be well worth it for the Phillies.
Here are the bonuses Realmuto could unlock: $2 million for a fan All-Star selection, $1 million for a selection by the league, $1 million for a Gold Glove, $1 million for a Silver Slugger, and $2 million for a top 10 NL MVP finish.
Needless to say, if he cashes in on any of those this season, the Phillies will be happy to pay and the fans will be happy to see it. And MLB Network will have to put Realmuto back into the top 10 catchers heading into 2027.