No, this is not how the Phillies are replacing J.T. Realmuto if he does sign elsewhere? Mark Kolozsvary does have some major league experience, but this deal is purely to give some depth at the minor league level. Kolozsvary (pronounced COLES-vary) has played in just 11 major league games in his career.
Kolozsvary struggled to stay healthy in 2025 and wound up on the IL. While with Double-A Portland (Boston), Kolozsvary went on the 7-day IL with an undisclosed injury and was moved to the full-season IL a little more than two weeks later. The injury was not disclosed.
After being drafted by Cincinnati in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft, Kolozsvary made his major league debut with the Reds in 2022, playing in 10 games and hitting .200 (4-for-20) with a home run and three RBI. Following the season he was placed on waivers and claimed by Baltimore. He had his contract selected by the Orioles on June 13 and played in one game but did not get a plate appearance before being designated for assignment and electing to become a free agent. He then signed with Minnesota and at the end of the 2023 season was again a free agent and signed with Boston and has been in their minor league organization for the past two seasons. In his career, Kolozsvary has played in 121 games at Triple-A with a line of 11-38-.194/.309/.338/.647.
Defensively, in his small sample size of 10 MLB games, Kolozsvary has thrown out one of five baserunners (20-percent) attempting to steal. He did not commit an error, but was charged with two passed balls. At the Triple-A level, Kolozsvary has a .985 fielding percentage and has thrown out 24-percent (31-of-129) would-be basestealers. He has also been charged with seven passed balls.
Overall, Kolozsvary, 30, is generally viewed as a solid defensive catcher with strong fundamentals behind the plate: he’s praised for his game-calling and ability to handle pitchers, he moves well in blocking balls in the dirt, and provides reliable framing and blocking skills that make him a dependable backup at the position. Scouts and analysts categorize him as a “plus” defender who knows the nuances of the position and handles the pitching staff well, even though his statistical defensive metrics in his limited MLB time are modest.
The Phillies also gave Kolozsvary an invitation to spring training.
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