An amazing first half of the 2018 season has vaulted Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto (.310/.365/.536, 145 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR) from nice complementary player to MLB All-Star and face of the franchise. The baseball industry is gradually recognizing that.
The annual FanGraphs “Trade Value” series attempts to rank the most valuable assets in the sport—minor league prospects are eligible, too—leading up to the July 31 deadline. The criteria includes past production, contract status, projections and input from scouts and team executives.
Realmuto had never achieved a top-50 ranking before, but made the leap to 24th on the 2018 edition, as revealed by Kiley McDaniel on Wednesday.