2012 Miami Marlins Prospect Review: J.T. Realmuto

Rob Brantly may be the best catcher for the Miami Marlins right now, but it will not be too long until there is another big catcher on the rise and coming onto the major league roster. J.T. Realmuto is rising through the ranks of the Marlins organization and if his success continues, he could be battling with Brantly for a starting spot in the near future.

In 2011, Realmuto showed his stuff. He batted .287 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI. He also recorded 100 hits in the season as he started garnering a bit of the spotlight. Then, in 2012, his offense dipped slightly. He batted .256 with eight home runs and 46 RBI. However, that could have been due to playing for Single-A Advanced Jupiter and not with the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. With the slight dip, there are still high expectations for Realmuto to continue his surge and to reach his full potential in a few years.

The only problem with Realmuto is his ability to play catcher. He is not a catcher first, he was a shortstop that converted so there is still much education needed for Realmuto. With that being said, Realmuto has an excellent arm and can run the bases very well which will make him a stolen base threat from time to time. The Marlins are incredibly excited to have him behind the plate.

The 21-year-old is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League with the Phoenix Desert Dogs. In eight games in the AFL, Realmuto is 5-for-21 with two RBI and eight strikeouts.

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