The Philadelphia Phillies entered the playoffs last season as the No. 2 seed in the NL. Unfortunately, the club experienced an early exit after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. On Saturday, catcher J.T. Realmuto admitted he's ready to finish business with his teammates.
During an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia, Realmuto proclaims there is no other team he'd rather play for than the Phillies. Additionally, he admitted that he and the club are ultra-focused on being more competitive this season, with the hope of making a deeper run in the playoffs.
“Obviously, there's a lot of talented guys in this room,” said Realmuto. “It's no secret we enjoy playing baseball together. So, it's definitely the place I wanted to be. You know, we've fallen short of our goal a few years in a row now. So, there's a lot of unfinished business for us.”
"It's definitely the place I wanted to be. There's a lot of unfinished business for us." – J.T. Realmuto
📺 30 Clubs, 30 Camps pic.twitter.com/DPqNX1hpaG
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 28, 2026
J.T. Realmuto, who turns 35 in March, is entering his 13th MLB season. He's been a key piece in the Phillies roster since joining the organization in 2019. Realmuto is recognized as one of the most consistent catchers in the league, as he ended last season with a .257 batting average and .315 OBP while recording 129 hits, 12 home runs, and 52 RBIs.
The three-time All-Star will have a solid group of pitchers to work with this year. While Cristopher Sanchez leads the way as the Phillies' ace, Realmuto will also catch for Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Zach Wheeler. Meanwhile, he has also hyped prospect Andrew Painter, who is competing for a roster spot to potentially make his MLB debut.
With a stacked roster and an exciting pitching rotation backed by a strong bullpen, expectations are for the Phillies to be competitive in the NL East once again. Philadelphia will begin the 2026 campaign with an Opening Day contest against the Texas Rangers.
