JT Realmuto HOF'er?

[Mike D.]

It really depends on how he ages from here on out, and aging for catchers isn't the easiest thing.

Realmuto has 31.3 WAR according to BB-R...35th all-time for catchers.

Every catcher over 50 career WAR is in the HOF (or will be once Mauer gets in).

Posey is at 44.8 and Molina at 42.3. If Realmuto can get into that range, he'll be a strong candidate.

Considering he's averaged 4.5 WAR per season for his last 5 full seasons (not counting shortened 2020 season), he's got a shot.

[D. Bergin]

I just noticed that Realmuto is almost the exact same age as Thurman Munson, when he had his accident.

Made me realize how much of a shoe-in Munson would have been if he had just played a few more years...even at a mediocre level.

Munson compiled a 46.1 WAR at the same age Realmuto is now. Realmuto is at 31.3 right now.

If he has a Carlton Fisk like 2nd half of his career, he's got a shot. That's a lot to ask though. Fisk had a 4.9 WAR season at age 42, playing mostly as a catcher. That just doesn't normally happen.

[BobbyStrawberry]

I think he's destined for the hall of very good.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

I just noticed that Realmuto is almost the exact same age as Thuman Munson, when he had his accident.

Made me realize how much of a shoe-in Munson would have been if he had just played a few more years...even at a mediocre level.

Munson compiled a 46.1 WAR at the same age Realmuto is now. Realmuto is at 31.3 right now.

If he has a Carlton Fisk like 2nd half of his career, he's got a shot. That's a lot to ask though. Fisk had a 4.9 WAR season at age 42, playing mostly as a catcher. That just doesn't normally happen.

Correct, me if I'm wrong, Munson was beginning to show signs of decline, before his tragic death? Though I do think he would've made the Hall had he not suffered that unfortunate fate.

To the topic at hand, if Realmuto is somehow able to put up his average of 3.5 WAR for the next seven or so seasons, he might get in. Catchers are the hardest position, to make it to the Hall IMO, because of the durability issues all of them run into.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by Seven

Correct, me if I'm wrong, Munson was beginning to show signs of decline, before his tragic death? Though I do think he would've made the Hall had he not suffered that unfortunate fate.

Munson had shown signs of a significant decline, but agreed that maybe three more years would have probably put him over the top. He just needed more stat padding which would have come with time...1500 hits and 118 HRs is just hard to accept of a hall of famer. If you want to say "what if" you hit a really slippery slope.

All that said, he was a star when I was a kid, I feel like the 70s are largely underrepresented and I wouldn't cry foul if he made it in a side door to Cooperstown.

[packs]

Jorge Posada gets no respect. While never failing a test I think there was something artificial about both Piazza and Pudge's careers and they were the only better catchers than Posada during his career. He was certainly better than 9 out of 10 catchers and he fell below 5% on his first ballot.

No way Realmuto gets any serious consideration.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

Jorge Posada gets no respect. While never failing a test I think there was something artificial about both Piazza and Pudge's careers and they were the only better catchers than Posada during his career. He was certainly better than 9 out of 10 catchers and he fell below 5% on his first ballot.

No way Realmuto gets any serious consideration.

I always suspected both of those guys.

[Mike D.]

The thing that really hurt Posada is that he didn't play a full season until his age 27 season. Before his age 30 season, he played in only 443 big league games.

The fact that based on that and being a catcher he's even in the conversation of something like the Hall of Fame is really impressive.

By comparison, Rodriguez debuted at 19 and had played 1,371 games by his age 30 season. Piazza debuted at 23 and had played 840 games by his age 30 season.

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I always suspected both of those guys.

I think the "suspected" thing is kind of garbage. You can make a circumstantial accusation against most any player...hard to prove a negative.

Heck, not going to go near saying Posada used, but a guy who suddenly became an above-average regular at 27, played until he was 40, and played with guys like Giambi, Sheffield, and Pettitte? See how easy it is to "suspect" someone?

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by packs

Jorge Posada gets no respect. While never failing a test I think there was something artificial about both Piazza and Pudge's careers and they were the only better catchers than Posada during his career. He was certainly better than 9 out of 10 catchers and he fell below 5% on his first ballot.

No way Realmuto gets any serious consideration.

posada should have gotten more respect and consideration. But to me he was bordeline HOFer

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by mrreality68

posada should have gotten more respect and consideration. But to me he was bordeline HOFer

One side effect of the more transparent HOF voting process (which is generally a good thing) is that it seems like borderline candidates who at least deserve to hang around the ballot a few years are falling below the 5% threshold faster than in the past.

There are lots of guys who probably aren't Hall of Famers, but a few years on the ballot may allow for further appreciation of their careers.