It wasn’t that long ago when the whispers could be heard regarding J.T. Realmuto’s future with the franchise.

The normally reliable catcher was making bizarre mistakes like dropping flips from the pitcher or making routine plays behind the plate. Realmuto simply didn’t look like himself at times earlier this season.

Maybe he wasn’t 100 percent.

As the season progressed, Realmuto slowly began to assemble his overall package. He started hitting consistently. He was throwing runners out trying to steal. He was driving in runs. He turned into the player the Philadelphia Phillies expected when they paid him a gargantuan $115 million sum over five years.

Watching Realmuto pick a ball behind the plate and then send a scorching throw down to second base was amazing. He made the most difficult throws look easy.

The Phillies wouldn’t have reached the World Series without him. Reliable backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, who was productive all season, couldn’t get off the bench in the postseason even once.

Realmuto was that productive. And he was rewarded with a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award.

Realmuto hit 22 home runs and drove in 84 runs in 139 regular season games. His durability behind the plate was impressive and it was clear he built trust with the entire pitching staff. Realmuto became a threat to steal bases every time he reached, with 21 on the season.

He became a clubhouse leader alongside Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

All those early season whispers soon evaporated. The contract has seemed like a bargain.

Moving forward, Realmuto will be one of the most important pieces on this team.

If they can find ways to give him more rest, he’ll be even fresher for the postseason in the years to come.

During the final stretch of the regular season, manager Rob Thomson was so impressed with his catcher that he stated Realmuto should be pushed into consideration for the Most Valuable Player.

“J.T. has been playing fantastic baseball in every facet of the game,” Thomson said then. “In my mind, I think he should be, at this point, maybe in the MVP conversation. I mean, that’s how important he is to our ballclub.”

Realmuto reveled in every moment of his first trip to the postseason. He was hardly afraid of the big moments.

Was he perfect? No.

Was he flawless? No.

This much was clear: the Phillies need Realmuto to take that final step and win a World Series title. He means that much to the franchise.