Realmuto has gotten better every year since breaking

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into the majors in 2014. His latest step forward took him to 4.3 WAR Kendrys Morales Jersey , which was one more than any other catcher.Much of that has to do with his bat. The improvement of his OPS mirrors that of his increasing WAR, and he's coming off career highs in OPS (.825) and home runs (21).It helps that Realmuto is fine-tuning his approach to perfection. In 2018, he achieved his best balance between swinging at strikes and taking balls:That led to another step up for his walk rate but more so improved the quality of his contact. Both his average exit velocity (88.9 mph) and his hard-hit rate (38.5 percent) reached new peaks.Just as it did for Yelich, a move away from Marlins Park would almost certainly unlock further offensive potential for Realmuto. His career road OPS is 170 points higher than his career home OPS, and some of his non-homer fly balls and line drives would have cleared the fences even at Kauffman Stadium.As it is, Wilson Ramos is the only catcher who had a higher OPS than Realmuto in 2018. If he continues to improve and benefits from a more hitter-friendly home park, he can become MLB's best offensive catcher in 2019 and 2020.Realmuto's talents don't end there. He was the fastest baserunner among all catchers in 2018. He's also one of the position's most well-rounded defenders.He threw out a career-high 38.2 percent of base stealers in 2018, mainly with the help of the fastest pop time in the game. He got the ball to second base in an average of 1.9 seconds.Last but not least, Realmuto has also made good on his desire to become a better pitch framer.Though he rated slightly below average in 2018, the trend in his percentages tells a more optimistic tale:2015: 83.8 in-zone strike% Jesse Barfield Jersey , 7.5 out-of-zone strike%2016: 83.3%, 7.6%2017: 85.7%, 7.8%2018: 86.9%, 8.1%Altogether, you can't ask for a better catcher than Realmuto. Since he's only 27 years old and has multiple talents to hone, there's a good chance he will become a better All-Star or even an MVP-caliber talent over the next two seasons.In the meantime, it's probable he won't be in a Marlins uniform the next time he sets foot on a major league field. It's just a question of which of his many possible suitors wants him the most. Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, Baseball Savant and Baseball Prospectus. PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier says his body feels as good as ever and he’s determined to bounce back from a subpar season marked by injuries and inconsistency to help the Tampa Bay Rays contend for a playoff berth.“I’m going to sound like a broken record all spring http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey ,” the defensive whiz said, adding he has a lot to prove to teammates and fans after struggling offensively last year, when he missed two months with a torn ligament in his right thumb and also hurt a foot in September.“I love where I’m at right now,” Kiermaier added. “I couldn’t ask for anything else, and now it’s just my part to go execute and maybe win some hearts back from my performance last year.”The Rays surprisingly won 90 games despite losing their centerfielder for 57 games from April 16 to June 18, then finishing the season with Kiermaier sidelined the final four games because of a hairline fracture in his right foot.It was the third straight season the 28-year-old, who batted .217 in a career-low 88 games, missed significant time because of injuries.Kiermaier reported to spring training last week, three days ahead of Monday’s first full-squad workout, eager to do his part to help the Rays build on last year’s success and contend for a postseason berth.“I feel better than ever. I know every baseball player says that every year. But I say it with a straight face George Bell Jersey , and I know I’m not lying through my teeth,” Kiermaier said.“I just want to help this team out,” he added. “Personally, I’m so happy for what we did as a team last year, but I will make much more of a contribution this year. I promise you that.”A .254 career hitter over portions of five major league seasons, Kiermaier is best-known for his highlight-reel defensive exploits.The two-time Gold Glove winner’s batting average was the lowest of his career last season and came on the heels of hitting a career-best .276 with 15 homers and and 39 RBIs two years ago.“We are a different team when KK is on the field,” manager Kevin Cash said. “When he’s not, we miss him. Obviously, our defense is different. And with our offense, when he is going right Dave Winfield Jersey , he has the ability to really ignite us.”One of the club’s top priorities in spring training is to do whatever’s necessary to help Kiermaier remain healthy.That may be the best way the Rays can help the centerfielder keep his pledge to rebound from a disappointing 2018.“KK can say what he wants and motivate himself however he wants, and we’re going to support him. But the last thing I’m going to do is put pressure on KK,” Cash said.“He’s a really good player and he’s been banged up with some unfortunate injuries,” the manager added. “Last year was about as fluke (of an injury) as they get. But I love the fact that he’s motivated, he’s very driven to be on the field and help us.”