Article Written by Michael Doctorovitz
Originally Published on August 25, 2023
It has been a roller coaster ride of a season for the Phillies but one thing has definitely stayed consistent: the poor plate appearances by Jacob Tyler Realmuto.
Realmuto’s season has been abysmal. In 2022, Realmuto hit .276 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and had an OPS of .820, earning a Silver Slugger award in the process. This season, his batting average has seen a dropoff to .250 to go along with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and an OPS of .764.
In 2022, Realmuto struck out 119 times. With 35 games to go in 2023, Realmuto has struck out 115 times.
Take stats out of the equation though and just go with the eye test. It seems that almost anytime Realmuto comes up with a runner in scoring position, he strikes out. If there are runners on first and third with only one out, he grounds into an inning ending double play the majority of the time.
Take Wednesday night for example. After Bryce Harper tied the game with a laser three-run home run in the ninth, the game should have also ended in the ninth. With a runner on third and two away Realmuto came up with a chance to win the game. Just a single would do. Instead, Realmuto struck out on a pitch that was so far outside that it would have hit a left handed batter in his back side. The Phillies would of course go on to lose the game in the tenth.
Realmuto has been particularly bad at Citizens Bank Park this season which is even more odd because of how well he has hit in the park in past seasons.
All season long people had been so focused on Trea Turner that they forgot about Realmuto’s struggles and as the season winds down, his at bats will become more and more important.
Michael Doctorovitz,
Columnist,
The Locker Room with Billy Schweim