MLB fans debate league's best catcher entering the 2023 season: "Adley for sure, he reminds me of Posey"

The MLB season is just around the corner and fans are counting down the days to spring training. Last season provided us with some of the best baseball we have seen in years. The Los Angeles Dodgers won 111 games. Justin Verlander (at 39-years-old) won his third Cy Young. Aaron Judge broke the American League's single-season home run record.

Fans will hope that 2023 can match the heights of last season. With Opening day only 71 days away, fans are breaking down batting lineups and pitching staff to determine who has a realistic shot at the 2023 World Series.

In a recent Tweet by MLB Network, fans were asked who they believed to be the league's best catcher entering the season.

This was a difficult question and fans seemed split. Aside from being a solid hitter, a good catcher needs to field, throw and manage his team. He needs to be a master in the nuances of the position and control the pace of the game.

MLB fans took to the comments section to provide their thoughts on who deserves the title as MLB's best catcher.

J.T. Realmuto, Adley Rutschman, Alejandro Kirk, Will Smith, Sean Murphy and Cal Raleigh were some of the players to receive shouts. While many fans favored Will Smith and Adley Rutschman, it seemed as if Realmuto was the frontrunner.

Realmuto is a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He is regarded as one of the most defensively sound catchers in the game. Realmuto is also coming off a season where he won the National League pennant with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 31-year-old is a threat on both the defensive and offensive side. Over his nine-year career, the right-handed slugger has amassed 134 home runs and 515 RBIs in 1005 regular-season games. He also has an impressive .275/.332/.456 lifetime slash line.

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto helped guide the club to the 2022 MLB World Series

J.T. Realmuto catches a pop fly by Yuli Gurriel #10 of the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Five of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park

Realmuto seemed to edge out young up-and-comer Adley Rutshman. The Baltimore Orioles catcher had a phenomenal debut season and showed the maturity of a veteran catcher behind the plate. He was key in guiding the Orioles to a 83-79 record, their best finish since 2016.

MLB is stacked with talented backstops. Veteran stars such as J.T. Realmuto and Willson Contreras have led the way over the last few years. In 2023, look out for emerging stars such as Will Smith, Sean Murphy and Adley Rutschman.