Modern catching positions often force managers to make a tough choice: accept a less effective batter to anchor the defense or tolerate defensive weaknesses to include a top run-producer. J.T. Realmuto breaks this trade-off. Using his exceptional, almost otherworldly athleticism behind the plate, the Oklahoma native has established himself as the leading, versatile catcher of his era.

His move to eastern Pennsylvania highlights a player's awareness of his significant market value. After a standout 2018 season with the Miami Marlins that earned him his first All-Star appearance, Realmuto made it clear to South Florida management that he would not base his future there due to their rebuilding plans. Knowing they couldn't afford to lose such a top player for nothing, Miami arranged a major trade in February 2019, sending the star catcher to a division rival on Broad Street.

From the moment he donned the red pinstripes, Realmuto demonstrated exceptional value in a scarce positional role. He transformed the area behind home plate into a virtual no-go zone for opposing runners, utilizing a blazing 1.85-second pop time—the fastest in the majors—to consistently throw out the sport’s quickest base stealers.

His remarkable consistency and high volume earned him numerous awards during his first six summers in Philadelphia, including three All-MLB selections, two Gold Glove Awards, and three Silver Sluggers, establishing his reputation as the clear "Best Catcher in Baseball.”

His workload's structural density hit a new high during the 2025 regular season. At 34, an age when most catchers experience significant decline, Realmuto delivered an exceptional iron-man performance. He led Major League Baseball by starting 132 games and playing 1,151.1 innings on cold surfaces. Despite a transitional .257/.315/384 slash line with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs, he excelled in clutch moments. In the 2025 NL Division Series against the Dodgers, he hit for the cycle over four games, achieving a remarkable .353 average and significantly boosting his team's offense.

Reakmuto has 769 hits in Philadelphia going into this season.

We are diligently working away at Notinhalloffame on revising our Baseball and Football lists to reflect the winter’s respective classes.

As such, we are pleased to announce that we have revised 101-120 on the NIHOF Baseball list.

Those ranked are:

#101. Ryan Braun
#102. Buddy Bell
#103. Lance Berkman
#104. Paul Konerko
#105. Francisco Rodriguez
#106. Harvey Kuenn
#107. Jack Quinn
#108. Jimmy Rollins
#109. George Foster
#110. Frank Tanana
#111. Jim Wynn
#112. Curt Flood
#113. Miguel Tejada
#114. Jack Clark
#115. Mark Teixera
#116. Chuck Finley
#117. Bert Campaneris
#118. Tim Hudson
#119. Vida Blue
#120. Sal Bando

The current (and under construction) list is here.

Look for more updates soon!

Thank you all for your support of Notinhalloffame.com.

It has been reported that Zack Martin, the starting Right Guard for the Dallas Cowboys since 2014 will be retiring, and that brings us a heavyweight contender for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Martin played his college ball at Notre Dame where he helped bring them to the 2013 BCS Championship Game.  He was drafted in the First Round (16th Overall) in 2014 by the Cowboys, where he immediately win the job at Right Guard.

Martin would become one of the best Guards in Cowboys history, earning seven First Team All-Pros, two Second Team All-Pros and 10 Pro Bowls.  He is now eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, and in our 2024 Pre-Season Hall of Fame monitor, he was ranked #4 Overall and #1 among Offensive Linemen.

We here at notinhalloffame.com wish Zack Martin the best in his post-playing career.

There are always some standout performances in every NBA season. Certain players seem to transcend the game to carry their teams through the postseason and on to championship glory.

We have already seen some stunning individual contributions across the 2024/25 NBA campaign. Several stars remain in contention for the regular-season MVP award, but can their displays match the best individual NBA campaigns of all time?

The Class of 25

With around a third of the regular season, several names remain in the hat for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. At the top of the list, current NBA MVP odds show Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the favorite to claim the accolade.

It’s already been an impressive campaign for the man from Oklahoma City Thunder. After 54 games this term, Gilgeous-Alexander had registered an average of 32 points per match, ranking highly for rebounds, assists, and steals.

Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Nikola Jokic are also in contention for the 2025 MVP award. Each has delivered some stunning performances, but they have some way of matching the greatest individual NBA seasons. 

Stephen Curry: Golden State Warriors: 2015/16

Stephen Curry regularly delivers stunning stats, but the 2015/16 campaign was remarkable, even by his high standards. As the Golden State Warriors surged to their second Conference title in as many years, their key point guard returned some scarcely believable numbers.

Curry averaged over 30 points per game, but his most incredible stat involved his three-pointers. He shattered his previous record of 286 by posting no fewer than 402 three-point scores. It’s a milestone that may never be beaten, and while GSW ultimately fell short of winning the championship, Stephen Curry was rightly named the NBA’s regular season MVP.

LeBron James: Cleveland Cavaliers: 2008/09

Like Stephen Curry, LeBron James’ stunning 2008/09 season was ultimately in vain. Despite being the dominant franchise in the regular campaign, his Cleveland Cavaliers team lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

More than anyone else, the Cavs won 66 matches in the regular season, and James was the driving force behind their success. He averaged over 28 points and seven assists per game and was firm in defense. LeBron ranked highly for steals but couldn’t get Cleveland over the line.

Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: 1985/86

We could have picked any of Larry Bird’s campaigns in the early 80s. The Boston Celtics forward won his third regular season MVP award in succession in 1986, in what was a stunning effort.

He averaged over 25 points, with 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. This was the year Bird established himself as an elite-level player and a future Hall of Famer. On this occasion, those efforts ended happily as Larry Bird won his third NBA Championship with the Celtics.

Michael Jordan: Chicago Bulls: 1987/88

Michael Jordan’s 1987/88 season was almost perfect. He finished the campaign as the NBA’s MVP and picked up the Defensive Player of the Year award. He claimed the MVP in the league’s All-Star game while finishing as the NBA’s scoring champion.

Jordan’s stats across the campaign were remarkable. He averaged exactly 35 points per game, along with 5.5 rebounds. His 3.2 steals per game also meant that he was the NBA’s steals leader.

It would have been the perfect season had it not been for the intervention of the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls lost to Detroit in the playoffs, and Air Jordan would have to wait another three years for his first NBA Championship.

Shaquille O’Neal: Los Angeles Lakers: 1999/2000

By sealing the NBA Championship in 2000, Shaquille O’Neal can lay a genuine claim to having delivered the best individual season ever. Along with his championship ring, the Shaq Attack claimed the MVP award in the regular campaign, the finals series, and the All-Star game.

This was the perfect campaign, with an average of 29.7 points and an exceptional 13.6 rebounds. Fittingly, O’Neal scored no fewer than 41 points in the sixth and last game of the finals series to seal the championship for his Lakers side.

The 2024/25 NBA season has already seen some brilliant individual performances. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s averages are so remarkable that it would be a severe shock if he didn’t win the MVP award.

Others are making contributions elsewhere and are ready to challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder for the NBA championship. Those stars will all be interested in landing the MVP in the finals series, where they can decide the trophy's destination. It will be fascinating to see the campaign reach its conclusion, but can anyone match the greatest individual NBA displays?

Additional Sources

https://www.oddschecker.com/basketball/nba/regular-season-mvp/winner