The post Phillies’ JT Realmuto projected by MLB players as one of the top catchers with ABS in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ offseason didn’t exactly go as planned. They missed Bo Bichette and had to quickly turn to JT Realmuto, much to the chagrin of some Phillies fans.
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It’s an understandable reaction, as having the Phillies running back again isn’t the best news. However, there’s a reason fans should be excited about what Realmuto brings to the team in 2026, beyond his hitting, base-running and catching ability.
As Jared Greenspan of MLB.com shared, Major League Baseball players predict Realmuto will be one of the top catchers to challenge with ABS this season, joining Cal Raleigh as the top-voted catcher.
JT Realmuto might be the best receiver in the ABS Challenge
“Name a catcher who you think is really good at challenging. 1. Cal Raleigh (SEA): 16 votes. 2. JT Realmuto (PHI): 15 votes,” Greenspan shared.
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Most major leaguers expect Realmuto, whose catcher pool is second only to Raleigh, to benefit the most from the new ABS challenge in the 2026 season.
Even though this is Realmuto’s 13th season in the majors, he looks ready to make an even bigger impact behind the plate.
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Who says an old dog can’t be taught new tricks? Realmuto has shown that he is ready to take on the challenge of ABS this season.
In the spring, he was a perfect 6-for-6 in challenges, converting pitches into strikes. As The Athletic’s Matt Gelb noted, “Three of those challenges resulted in strikeouts.”
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Realmuto has already made an impact with the ABS challenge for the Phillies this spring, and during the regular season we should have a lot of confidence that the veteran catcher will have a feel for the strike zone that can make a huge difference this season.