Former Longtime MLB Manager Praises Phillies' Core of Leaders

In response to Mets owner Steve Cohen telling reporters Monday in Port St. Lucie that no Met would be named team captain so long as he owns the team, longtime big-league skipper Buck Showalter cited two Phillies as reasons why the 'C' doesn't need to be formally awarded.

"If you've got to put a 'C' on somebody's jersey ... everyone knows who that guy is. Do you have any doubt, the two people over in Philadelphia, who's running that ship?" Showalter said on Foul Territory TV.

"I think one of the best signings of the offseason was the catcher in Philadelphia and of course, (Kyle) Schwarber there."

Showalter was referring to J.T. Realmuto as one of the Phillies' clear leaders and either Bryce Harper or Schwarber as the other. Really, it's all three of them, along with the quieter tone-setting of Zack Wheeler.

Phillies leadership group

Harper is the face of the franchise. Realmuto leads by example, taking a beating every year but working tirelessly on the physical and mental aspects of the game to remain as sharp as possible for a catcher with the league's largest workload. And Schwarber is often the calm voice of reason during difficult times, the kind of player whose personality sets a positive tone in the clubhouse.

"Wanting to take on that and all it entails is a lot to ask of players nowadays," Showalter said. "The dynamics of a locker room, the people in it realize how it works. It takes a special person to take on the responsibility of being that."

Only 2 of 30

Most MLB teams do not name a team captain. Aaron Judge was named captain in 2022 of the Yankees, who hadn't given out the title since Derek Jeter's retirement in 2014.

The only other club with a captain is the Royals, who bestowed the honor to catcher Salvador Perez in 2023. Perez is a lifetime Royal, former World Series MVP, nine-time All-Star and potential Hall of Famer. It was a no-brainer for Kansas City.

The Mets' most recent captain was David Wright from 2013 until 2018, his final season.

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To Showalter's point, the Phillies' biggest offseason transactions were the re-signings of Schwarber (five years, $150 million) and Realmuto (three years, $45 million). Consider, for example, if the Phils signed Bo Bichette but were unable to come to terms with Schwarber, the NL's leader in home runs and RBI in 2025. Or if another team made Realmuto an offer he couldn't refuse. There would be newness to the roster but it's hard to believe it would be better.

Schwarber has reached new heights as a Phillie and his first contract with the team played out as well as possible, minus a championship. He's hit for more power than ever before, hit lefties better than ever before and increased his batting average from .207 in his first two years with the Phils to .244 the last two. Schwarber has made two All-Star teams, was the NL MVP runner-up to Shohei Ohtani last season and the Phillies made it all the way to Game 6 of the World Series in his first year here.

Most players don't age the way Schwarber has. He turns 33 on March 5 and Realmuto turns 35 two weeks later. Realmuto's OPS has decreased in each of the last four seasons, from .820 to .762 to .751 to .700 and he is no longer the best catcher in baseball. But he still provides value with his throwing arm, game-planning and speed relative to other catchers. Realmuto led the National League last season by throwing out 30 would-be base-stealers, and his 10 strike-em-out, throw-em-out double plays led the majors.

Difficult position to evaluate

Realmuto held out until late January, when he signed up to remain in Philly through the end of 2028. It was important to him to be paid what he felt he was worth.

"I know how the game works. There's certain values on players. At the end of the day, I just value myself and what I do for the team different than the Phillies did for a while," Realmuto said after re-signing. "That's why it took longer than maybe it should have.

"I'm in a weird spot. It sucks, in my opinion, catchers are undervalued in this game as far as contracts and dollars go. I truly believe it's one of, if not the most important positions on the field. I just enjoy fighting for that. I believe in that value. I know the Phillies do as well, it's just the dollars looked different.

"Luckily, after the Phillies missed out on an opportunity there at the end (Bichette), they called back and were able to make something happen, improve their offer and get to something we were happy with."