Phillies’ backup catcher Garrett Stubbs may be overconfident about his future with the team | Elsa/GettyImages
The Philadelphia Phillies’ backup catcher spot between Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán is a competition to keep an eye on throughout spring training. J.T. Realmuto has been among Major League Baseball’s top starting catchers over the years and will remain the starting backstop heading into a contract year in 2025.
Realmuto has been a workhorse throughout his six-year Phillies career, but the backup catcher spot may be more important than ever this season. The three-time All-Star missed over a month with a knee injury in 2024 and played in 99 games, the lowest of his career other than the shortened 2020 season and his first major league season in 2014 when he played in just 11 games.
The Phillies are planning on experimenting with Realmuto in left field to limit his innings behind the plate. The soon-to-be 34-year-old has also been used at first base from time to time over the years.
Garrett Stubbs isn’t going down quietly after outrageous claim
Although nothing is set in stone, it has been widely considered that Stubbs will begin the 2025 season in Triple-A as the IronPigs’ starting catcher. Marchán looks to be the frontrunner to be Realmuto’s backup to start the season, largely in part because he’s out of minor league options.
“I’ve helped this team win, and I plan on doing that for a long time here,” Stubbs said about his worth to the Phillies and the backup catcher competition, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber.
Stubbs has turned into a fan favorite since joining the Phillies in 2022. The 31-year-old hasn’t necessarily won the fans over with his offensive production, but his vibrant personality stole their hearts.
Stubbs hasn’t had many opportunities with how often Realmuto is in the lineup. He hit .264 with 10 extra-base hits and 16 RBI in 106 at-bats in 2022 but has had little success at the plate from 2023-24. Stubbs hit .204 with a .557 OPS in 113 at-bats in 2022 and .207 with a .558 OPS in 164 at-bats in 2024.
Stubbs signed a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Phillies this offseason. He has one year of arbitration remaining and will be a free agent after the 2026 season.
Garrett Stubbs’ Phillies future up in the air with young talent behind him
The Phillies need a more reliable option behind Realmuto, especially on a team with championship aspirations. Marchán is a career .279 hitter in 111 major league at-bats.
Marchán proved to be a capable catcher in the majors while appearing in 17 games during Realmuto’s absence a season ago. The 26-year-old slashed .294/.345/.549 with a .894 OPS, four doubles, three home runs and six RBI. It was a questionable decision to send Marchán back to Triple-A when Realmuto returned and remain with Stubbs as the backup, but the Phillies wanted the young catcher to get regular playing time.
The knock on Marchán is his ability to stay healthy, and his lengthy injury history over the years. It has stunted his development and prevented him from solidifying himself as the Phillies’ backup catcher.
The Phillies have a rising star making his way through the minor league system. Eduardo Tait is an 18-year-old catching prospect who is ranked as Baseball America’s No. 93 overall prospect heading into the 2025 season.
Tait has a plus arm and has had an incredible start to his minor-league career from an offensive standpoint. He has a career slash line of .313/.371/.497 with a .868 OPS, 30 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs and 109 RBI in 123 games.
Tait needs to polish his defense, but that will come over time as he progresses through the system. He hasn’t played higher than Single-A and still has a long way to go until he makes his major league debut, but Tait projects to be the Phillies’ catcher of the future, not Stubbs.
