J.T. Realmuto wins second Gold Glove Award after elite defensive season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
J.T. Realmuto had an elite defensive season behind the plate and was honored Tuesday with the second Gold Glove Award of his career.
Realmuto beat out Travis d'Arnaud of the Braves and Tomas Nido of the Mets with all three finalists coming from the NL East.
Realmuto caught 17 more games and 128 more innings than any catcher in the majors in the regular season and has caught every game in the playoffs. Including the postseason, he's now caught 231 more innings than the catcher with the next-biggest workload, Houston's Martin Maldonado.
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Despite that, he was charged with just two passed balls.
Realmuto threw out 30 of 68 would-be base stealers, leading the majors in runners caught and success rate (44 percent).
He was involved in 11 double plays, four more than any catcher.
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And his 11 Defensive Runs Saved led all National League catchers.
Realmuto lived up to the "Best Catcher in Baseball" moniker this season. Beyond the defense, he hit .276 with an .820 OPS, 22 homers and 84 RBI. He graded out as one of the majors' best baserunners, frequently advancing two bases on a single or three bases on a double. He stole 21 bases in 22 attempts, joining Ivan Rodriguez as the only catchers ever with at least 20 homers and 20 steals in a season.
It was a historic year for Realmuto and it's not over yet. He's already made his presence felt in this World Series with a game-winning home run in extra innings in Game 1.
