Marlins Top Prospects: #5 JT Realmuto
A former star high school quarterback, J.T. Realmuto signed with the Marlins in the third round the summer of 2010 after setting a number of national records during his senior year with88 hits, 28 home runs, 119 RBIs and a .595 batting average.
The Marlins converted Realmuto from shortstop to catcher and adjusted his hitting style with rewarding results: over the second half of the 2011 season, Realmuto hit .299 with a .351 on-base percentage and a .519 slugging percentage for Low-A Greensboro. He also blasted all of his 12 homeruns in the second half, one of which came off a rehabbing Stephen Strasburg. Realmuto finished with a .287 batting average, good for 15th in the South Atlantic League.
Realmuto's strong arm and quick release has gunned out 42 percent of basestealers, and he was able to rack up 535 putouts. While he had 25 passed balls, he is still fine-tuning the many different changes to his game that the Marlins are giving him - not to mention a total position change.
With Kyle Skipworth sputtering through another minor league season, Realmuto's all around athleticism and plus speed have helped him blow by the Marlins' 2008 first-round selection as Miami's catcher of the future, according to Baseball America. As he continues to absorb everything that comes with being behind the plate, Realmuto can be expected to move one level at a time as he incorporates it all.