Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto celebrates after a ninth-inning double, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Since the start of June, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto has been one of the more reliable hitters in baseball. He hit .276 over the final four months of the season, recording 25 extra-base hits and driving in 31 runs in 86 games.

The Phillies went 96-66, posting MLB’s second-best record and winning the National League East for the second year in a row. That set up a meeting with the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Divisional Series.

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Realmuto produced the first runs of the series, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 lead in Saturday’s Game 1 with his first triple since opening day in the second inning. However, the Dodgers rallied to score five unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to win, 5-3.

TWO-RUN TRIPLE FOR J.T. REALMUTO!

THE @PHILLIES STRIKE FIRST! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/xXmCURKk5r

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2025

He delivered again during the team’s ninth-inning rally on Monday night. With no outs and Alec Bohm on first, Realmuto ripped a double to left field and scored the final run in a 4-3 loss that put Philadelphia on the brink of elimination.

If the Phillies are going to keep their season alive, they’re going to need more timely hitting from their three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. As he’s done throughout his 12-year MLB career, Realmuto will continue to lean heavily on his faith in God.

Realmuto has publicly discussed his faith throughout his career, and even hosted the Phillies’ Faith and Baseball Night alongside his life, Lexi, back in July. Knowing he is not defined by what happens on the field has helped the 34-year-old manage the highs and lows of a baseball season.

“My foundation is in Christ, it’s not in who I am on the baseball field,” he said at this year’s event, via Philly Sports Network. “… If you focus on [baseball] and that’s who your identity is, it’s going to be really hard to stay consistent and stay peaceful and have joy in your heart. So for me, my foundation is Jesus. It’s what He’s done for me on the cross. And this out here is just a bonus.”

Realmuto also shared part of his testimony and talked about the impact meeting Lexi had on his personal relationship with the Lord.

“For me, God was going to church, it was doing the right thing,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily having a true, authentic relationship with Him. And until I met her, I didn’t really know that. I didn’t know I was missing something, but she showed me how much more there was to that. And I saw what she had in Jesus, and I wanted to chase that same thing.”

Realmuto and his family work hard to keep God at the center of everything they do. Faith is the foundation that keeps them grounded amidst all the chaos professional sports can bring.

“Being away, having good games, having bad games, life is just so up and down,” he said. “The one constant we have is Jesus. And as a family, we focus on that. And we make that our core value system, and it keeps us from riding the waves of life.”

During an interview at last year’s Faith and Baseball Night, also with Lexi, Realmuto was asked how his faith helps him on the field. He explained that he sees a lot of players who turn baseball into an idol. Knowing he has a greater purpose allows him to keep everything in perspective.

“I just have such a sense of peace knowing that no matter what happens out there on that field, that I’m going to go home and be the best husband and be the best father I can be because of who Jesus is and because of what He’s done for me,” he said. “I can have that peace in knowing that’s who I am, not what I do on the field.”

That’s not to say he doesn’t want to succeed on the field, and do all he can to help Philadelphia get back to the World Series. Realmuto and the Phillies will take another crack at the Dodgers on Wednesday for Game 3 in L.A., which could be Realmuto’s final game as a Phillie. A loss would end Philadelphia’s season and make him an unrestricted free agent. First pitch is at 9:08 p.m. ET.

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