J.T. Realmuto’s all-around excellence could lead to down-ballot MVP votes

The National League MVP conversation centers around two superstars in the St. Louis Cardinals infield.

Ten names go on each ballot and if there’s anyone on the Phillies roster who has a chance to receive votes, it’s J.T. Realmuto.

The fact that this is even a conversation in September is incredible considering how poor his start to the season was. From April to June, Realmuto posted a .677 OPS in 247 at-bats. There was real concern that Realmuto’s peak was over.

Then the calendar turned to July and Realmuto began producing like a middle-of-the-order hitter, slugging .615 with a .998 OPS in July and August. It came at a time the Phillies needed him to step up. His turnaround helped fill a Bryce Harper-sized void in the Phillies lineup.

But that’s only part of what makes Realmuto such a valuable player.

At 31, he still gets the ball to second on a stolen base attempt faster than any catcher in the majors. He leads baseball in caught stealings (25) and his 41.7% success rate is also tops in the majors.

On the other side, Realmuto is one of the more efficient base stealers in the sport. He’s still perfect at 17-for-17 in stolen base attempts and is the first Phillie since Chase Utley in 2009 to steal 17 straight bases in a season without getting caught.

Consider his impact during Tuesday’s win against Miami. He threw out two base stealers, including one in the ninth to help negate one of two walks given up by struggling reliever David Robertson. The Phillies held on to a one-run lead. After the game, interim manager Rob Thomson made an interesting comment regarding Realmuto.

“In my mind, at this point, I think he should be in the MVP conversation,” Thomson said on Tuesday. “That’s how important he is to our club.”

Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt are at the forefront of the conversation. The pair are No. 1 and 2 among National League position players in FanGraphs WAR. The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman as well as the Padres’ Manny Machado should receive some considerations. But if you look further down the leaderboard, Realmuto is tied for tenth with Trea Turner at 5.2. The next best qualified catcher, the A’s Sean Murphy, is at 4.5.

While he hasn’t done enough offensively to be at the top of the MVP discussion, he is an interesting down ballot candidate. His ability to steal both bases and outs along with his durability at the most grueling position at the sport are a big reason why the Phillies are holding a playoff position in September.

“Maybe that’s a little bias on my part because I see him every day and I know how important he is to our club,” Thomson said on Friday. “He’s had a great year: baserunning, offense, defense, running the pitching staff, running the bullpen, he’s just so valuable to us.”

Notes

• It’s quite possible Seranthony Dominguez (right triceps tendinitis) could be activated off the injured list Saturday. He threw on the field in Lehigh Valley and Thomson planned on having a conversation with him once it was over.
• Harper is getting his first day off since coming off the injured list on Aug. 26. He’s currently on an 0-for-7 streak. “I think anybody that comes back from a short rehab stint kind of takes off and then plateaus. Maybe fatigue sets in or whatever,” Thomson said. “So he might be going through a little bit of that.”
• Zach Eflin will pitch two innings for Lehigh Valley tonight in his first rehab appearance. A nagging knee issue has kept him off the field since June 25.

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