2025 Fantasy Baseball: J.T. Realmuto Profile, Preview, Predictions
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After a down season due to injuries, J.T. Realmuto lost his luster in fantasy drafts. He'll enter 2025 at age 34 with questions about his lost speed.
2 swings, 6 RBI.
— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2024
Second 3-run blast of the night for J.T. Realmuto 😳 pic.twitter.com/fgvsk74HoL
C – J.T. Realmuto, PHI (ADP – 135.6)
In 2023, Realmuto had a regression in his stats across the board, highlighted by the highest strikeout rate (25.6) in his career and a six-year low in his walk rate (6.5). He played well on the road (.306/42/14/30/8 over 242 at-bats) while losing his way at home (.198 over 247 at-bats with 28 runs, six home runs, 33 RBIs, and eight steals).
Injuries (neck and right knee – needed surgery) plagued Realmuto last season, leading to 63 missed games. His approach (strikeout rate – 24.7 and walk rate – 6.5) was slightly below his previous four seasons (23.7/7.6). After stepping to the plate only 46 times in June and July (only four runs and no other counting stats), he was on a productive pace over his final 147 at-bats (.279/19/7/27/1).
His swing path aligned with his career averages, but his fly-ball rate (33.3) was well below 2023 (42.4% - career high). Realmuto saw a decline in his exit velocity (89.2 mph) for the second consecutive season, but he rebounded in his hard-hit rate (45.9 – 42.7% in 2023).
Fantasy Outlook: At age 34, the fantasy market has lost its love for Realmuto’s bat. His supporting metrics give him a chance to rebound this year, but he doesn’t have much of an opportunity to see at-bats at DH (none of the past two seasons) with Kyle Schwarber occupying that slot in the Phillies lineup. The lack of speed last year was injury-driven, making him a wild card to earn any value in the stolen base category in 2025.
Realmuto is reasonably priced based on his time with Philadelphia. He is a risk/reward player who can be a neutral five-category player if he can stay on the field for 135 games. I’d rather buy at a two-round discount than overpay.
RANKINGS
Top 5 Catchers | Catchers 6-10 | Catchers 11-15
Top 5 First Basemen | First Basemen 6-10 | First Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Second Basemen | Second Basemen 6-10 | Second Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Shortstops | Shortstops 6-10 | Shortstops 11-15
Top 5 Third Basemen | Third Basemen 6-10 | Third Basemen 11-15
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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