When trying to find the best-case scenario for the Phillies at the catcher position, all you need to do is go back to the 2022 season when they arguably had the best tandem in the league. J.T. Realmuto was still regarded by most pundits as the best catcher in baseball, and Garrett Stubbs was viewed as a solid backup.
That was not the case in 2023. Realmuto wasn’t awful, but his performance was off on both offense and defense, and the “BCIB” title was largely awarded to Adley Rutchsman. The lingering memory of his season was his inability to hit with runners on base, and it felt like any time he came to the plate with a runner on first, a ground ball double play was imminent.