J.T. Realmuto returns to Starkville this week, joining Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville to talk about everything from his last appearance on the show (which happened on a golf course) to catching Cristopher Sánchez, facing Jacob Misiorowski, and the unforgettable time Freddie Freeman kicked dirt on him.
Plus, Jayson and Doug weigh in on Manny Machado's criticism of analytics and what it says about the modern game, and Jo Adell makes another appearance in Strange But True — though this chapter of the story isn't nearly as triumphant as the last one.
Rundown:
2:50 Manny Machado Dislikes Analytics
13:55 J.T. Realmuto Joins the Show
14:48 Golfing with Kyle Schwarber
16:58 From Thomson to Mattingly
21:30 Catching Cristopher Sánchez
25:11 Sánchez vs. Misiorowski
29:12 Adjusting to ABS
32:38 Being a Catcher in 2026
37:41 2026 Team Expectations
41:21 Realmuto & Freeman’s Dust-Up
43:10 Strange But True: Jo Adell
Follow Jayson on Bluesky: @jaysonst.bsky.social
Follow Doug on Bluesky: @dougglanville.bsky.social
E-mail: starkville@theathletic.com
Starkville Hotline: (347) 313-8371
Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels
Hosts: Jayson Stark & Doug Glanville
With: J.T. Realmuto
Producer: Jason Potere
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