Miami Marlins 2021 Season Review: C Brian Navarreto

After making his major league debut with the Miami Marlins during the 2020 season, catcher Brian Navarreto did not see time in the big leagues in 2021. Splitting time across three different minor league levels, Navarreto did however see time in Triple-A during the 2021 season for the first time in his career.

Miami Marlins 2021 Season Review: C Brian Navarreto

Beginning the season with Triple-A Jacksonville, Navarreto would enjoy success with the Jumbo Shrimp during the month of May where the 26-year-old would slash .267/.327/.578 across 14 games. Placed on the IL at the end of the month however, Navarreto would miss about a month before returning on a rehab assignment with Low-A Jupiter in late-June where he went a combined 5-for-9 across three games.

Returning to Jacksonville on June 30, Navarreto would go-on to spend the entirety of July with the Jumbo Shrimp, but would struggle at times posting a .628 OPS across 11 games. Optioned to Double-A Pensacola in early-August, Navarreto would go-on to appear in 22 games through September 15 with the Blue Wahoos, but struggled posting a .548 OPS with four home runs.

Navarreto would return to Triple-A to finish the year where he would go 3-for-19 offensively with an RBI across the final eight games of the 2021 campaign.

Combined across those three levels, Navarreto would slash .214/.275/.406 across 58 games with nine home runs, 26 RBI’s, and a .681 OPS. Of his 41 hits for the year, 18 went for extra-bases, as well as Navarreto having drawn 15 walks on the year compared to 47 strikeouts.

Defensively, Navarreto did post a 33% caught stealing percentage behind the plate, as well as a .990 fielding percentage where he allowed a combined four passed balls for the year.

After spending the previous two season’s in the Miami Marlins organization, Navarreto elected free agency back on November 7, and is currently a free agent.