MARLINS: J.T. Realmuto stands out.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto is the Marlins’ one true star
“I’ve got to get better every day. Try to win.”
J.T. Realmuto, Marlins catcher
In a different town, with a different team, the National League’s best catcher would cause a scene in public. Here it’s no issue.
“Unless I’m at the ballpark, no one recognizes me,’’ J.T. Realmuto said. “I like that.”
On a bigger stage, with a bigger following, the Marlins’ one established star wouldn’t have an embarrassing lack of All-Star votes. Not that he claims to follow along.
“I only know I’m in the top five [voting for catchers] now because a writer told me,’’ he said.
It’s different with the Marlins, and always has been, as anyone following along all these years knows. So this isn’t some civic plea for more recognition on the streets or the ballot box for Realmuto, even if he is deserving in this sleeping market.
It’s to recognize what he represents beyond a great player in his 27-year-old prime who can handle a pitching staff and a bat in an equally impressive manner.
He represents the next page for the Marlins. Whatever that is. Wherever it goes.
If Jeter thinks this franchise can be ready to win in a couple of years, if he thinks it can turn to relevance that quickly, then the smart move is to invest in and build around Realmuto.
This franchise won’t find anyone like him on the open market. Too rare a talent. Too expensive a commodity.
But if the arc for winning remains so far
down the timeline that Realmuto’s age and expense don’t fit, then you know what will happen, because it’s the same thing that’s happened here for decades.
He’ll be dangled as trade bait probably next winter. What a haul he should bring, too, considering his age, talent, position and contract that’s under team control for two more years.
“He’s the one everyone wants the most,’’ a scout said last winter when the Marlins were trading everyone around him.
Realmuto asked for a trade in February in the midst of the latest fire sale. Why not when everyone else was being shipped out? But when no trade came, he made the best of it by putting his best foot forward.
“Once everything was said and done, and the roster was set, it’s been about business,’’ he said. “I’ve got to get better every day. Try to win. Try to make my teammates better. Whether we have those guys or don’t have those guys [from last season], there are still a lot of good ballplayers here, obviously.”
Because it’s baseball, numbers tell much of Realmuto’s offensive story. It’s not just that he either leads or sits near the top among catchers for everything from batting average (.304) to home runs (11) entering Thursday’s games.
It’s that his on-base/slugging percentage of .904 ranks first and his 3.4 wins-above-replacement tops the position by a good margin. The next closest catcher, the Chicago Cubs’ Willson Contreras, has an .835 OPS and a 2.8 WAR.
None of that touches the rare element of speed he brings to the position, even if the Marlins are using it more judiciously this year. He has one stolen base. He had at least eight his first three seasons.
And defensively? Realmuto says he’s studying more video tape of hitters this year to, “take the next step.”
“His game calling, taking control of the staff, as far as using pitching reports and understanding how we’re going to attack people, is something that’s just got better and better,’’ Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
All of that explains why Realmuto will be the Marlins’ All-Star choice, even if fans don’t know him enough to vote him a starter. That’s not unusual in this market. Nor is it unusual to wonder if today’s star will be around for tomorrow.
Just at catcher, Charles Johnson was part of a second wave of trades from the 1998 fire sale. Pudge Rodriguez didn’t return after the 2003 championship.
Like all things Marlins, Realmuto’s future isn’t just about baseball. It’s about money and timelines and whether the arc of winning intersects with his story.
If Jeter thinks the Marlins can be relevant in a couple of years, they need to sign him. If not, Realmuto will be fine. He’ll make good money on a contending team playing before big crowds who actually will vote for him to the All-Star position he deserves. dhyde@ sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @davehydesports;