The Philadelphia Phillies have lost five games in a row.
Despite the recent rough stretch, they are still in possession of a Wild Card berth as of Wednesday.
They lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 2.5 games in the fight for the final spot.
They suffered an ugly loss to the Toronto Blue Jays last night, but it was a huge game for one of the Phillies’ best players: J.T. Realmuto.
The All-Star catcher went 5-for-5 with a home runs, two runs, and two RBI.
The five hits helped him reach 1,000 over the course of his brilliant career.
“A thousand hits for the BCIB,” the Phillies tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.
A thousand hits for the BCIB. pic.twitter.com/tUaNCSmDbt
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 21, 2022
Is Realmuto The Best Catcher In Baseball?
In case you don’t know, BCIB stands for “best catcher in baseball.”
That moniker suited him to perfection before the year, but at the moment, things are not particularly clear.
With a strong .278/.348/.485 line, 20 home runs, 80 RBI and a .833 OPS, Realmuto is having a really good campaign, especially when we factor in his excellent defense.
However, Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Alejandro Kirk of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles all have a strong case to be considered in the “BCIB” debate, too.
For now, we will give the nod to Realmuto because he has been doing it for a longer time and has a more extensive track record.
He is one of the most important players on the Phillies, and reaching 1,000 hits should always be celebrated.
With all the young players who fail to reach the big leagues; or can’t make a lasting impact when they are up, Realmuto’s achievement is very cool and should be applauded.
NEXT: Phillies Writer Shares A Stark Warning Amid Potential Collapse