Phillies' JT Realmuto wary of herculean NLCS task vs. D'backs: "The most daunting thing... is how much confidence they have now"
Catcher J.T. Realmuto has been an integral part of the new and refined Philadelphia Phillies, who are trying to reach the World Series for the second consecutive season. But, wait, Philadelphia still needs to be aware of the roadblock ahead, which is the Arizona Diamondbacks. The NLCS is scheduled to commence on Monday night at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia.
"Philadelphia Phillies catcher JT Realmuto says the Arizona DBacks remind them of themselves entering the NLCS: ‘The most daunting thing about them now is how much confidence they have now," MLB writer Bob Nightengale tweeted.
The Phillies have been enjoying their time in the postseason, and what better way than to eliminate your division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, twice in the NLDS? You go on to claim the bragging rights in the NLCS and fight for the World Series once again. Because who knows? This time, the Rangers might have an ace up their sleeves to upset the defending champions, the Houston Astros.
For the majority of the previous five years, J.T. Realmuto was unquestionably regarded as baseball's finest catcher. His excellent postseason thus far is proof that he is still very good, but it's crucial to remember that this year's 106 OPS+ was his lowest since 2015 and that his once-elite defense significantly slipped.
That still would be more than adequate when compared to the majority of catchers. The D-backs, however, have a catcher in Gabriel Moreno, who is even more proficient at catching base stealers, and his superb second-half batting (.313/.383/.511) has contributed to a postseason that has seen three home runs.
J.T. Realmuto and the Phillies will look to attack from the forefront
By defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series and the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card series, the D-backs qualified for the National League Championship Series.
The Phillies, on the other hand, knocked out the Marlins and the Braves on their path to the NLCS. J.T. Realmuto played an important role in both the wild-card series and the NLDS, and he will now look to come on top against Gabriel Moreno.
"Calm before the storm. #Phillies getting a workout in as the NLCS will open here tomorrow night" @PGordonPBR tweeted.
Despite the games being closer than it might suggest, the Phillies defeated the D-backs 4-3 in the season series and outscored them 44-34.
Three runs determined one game, one run decided the other two, and one run decided the third. Due to the Phillies' lopsided 15-3 victory, that run differential has been distorted. In the regular season, Philadelphia has the better record.