Agustin Ramirez and Liam Hicks Are On Their Way To Miami Marlins Catcher History

Remember when the Miami Marlins had that vast organizational black hole at catcher?

Yeah, me neither.

Well, at least that's how things have felt around the Miami Marlins organization the past few months. After all, to say that Agustin Ramirez and Liam Hicks have been really good only tells part of the story.

Most of the Marlins fan base would likely tell you that the best thing for Miami long term would be if neither one of them was the starting catcher on Opening Day 2026, but rather Joe Mack, one of the club's top prospects. There's also the small matter that if you were to ask the average baseball fan who the Marlins starting catcher was, they'd likely answer with Nick Fortes.

Okay, fine, the average fan would probably be more likely to tell you the Marlins starting catcher was still Pudge Rodriguez rather than pull Fortes' name out of their hat. Still, Fortes was Miami's starter the past two Opening Days, and remains with the organization.

Point being, what was once one of the Marlins greatest organizational weaknesses has quickly reached the point where it's arguably their greatest strength. Three catchers who multiple MLB teams would be excited to have be their primary backstop? Plus another guy who has proven he can be passable at it? If not the greatest strength, Miami's catcher inventory certainly qualifies as an embarrassment of riches.

Then again, Ramirez and Hicks could be flashes in the pan. Mack hasn't done it in the majors yet. By season's end, Fortes could look pretty good as that Opening Day 2026 starter. That would mesh with the perpetually doomed narrative embraced by a sizable chunk of the fanbase.

So let's run with what we can say for certain. Right now, Agustin Ramirez and Liam Hicks are on pace to make Miami Marlins catcher history.

How? It all comes down to power.

When it comes to elite talent at the catching position, that's something the Marlins have had no shortage of historically. Multiple Gold Glove winners. Multiple All-Stars. Technically two Hall of Famers, thanks to that week of Mike Piazza. Power wise though? Not as much as you'd think given the illustrious company referenced here.

Not a single one of the Marlins Top 50 single season finishes in home runs has come from a player that primarily played catcher. Now, if you want to count Josh Willingham as a catcher because he played 15 games there in his Marlins career and two games there during his 26 HR season in 2006, the trivia fan in me would salute you. But that really is a bit of a cheat, even if an admittedly fun trivia flex.

Throwing Willingham out then, that leaves two franchise milestones for your consideration. The single season Marlins home run record for a catcher, and the combined power efforts of the team's top two catchers in a season.

Individually, that honor presently goes to J.T. Realmuto's 21 HRs in 2018, his last year with the club. With a 162 game of pace of 42 HRs, Ramirez would appear to be on track to shatter that mark. Obviously, 42 isn't happening, but there is enough room in the schedule to allow for finishing with 36, and he only needs 16 to break Realmuto's record. Even Hicks is on pace to tie him. Honestly, aside from health, the biggest thing that could trip Ramirez up here would be a technicality.

Currently, Ramirez has played more catcher than DH for Miami by a count of 13-11 games. However, between Hicks' emergence, Fortes' return from the IL, and the possibility of a late call up for Mack, it's not too much of a stretch to see the DH at bats taking the lead by season's end.

Even if that does happen though, splitting time fairly equally between DH and catcher is a far cry from Willingham playing catcher twice in 142 games. I think Ramirez could pretty fairly claim the crown here, and Hicks (28 G, 25 at C) certainly would if he manages to squeak past Realmuto himself.

Speaking of Hicks: Let’s Talk Combined Record

For this more obscure milestone, a reminder that I only considered the combined home run tallies of the Marlins top two games played leaders at catcher for a particular season. So no adding of Willingham to Miguel Olivo in 2006. No combinations of 3 or 4 different players to get a crooked number. Just what the No. 1 and No. 2 catchers did for the Marlins in a given season in the homer department.

Under those conditions, Realmuto's name comes up again, along with the efforts of A.J. Ellis, back in 2017. Realmuto hit 17 HRs that season, backed up by Ellis' 6 HR total, giving them a combined total of 23 HRs. Considering the fact that Ellis hit for a .210/.298/.371 slash line that year, those 6 HRs were really kind of a miracle. Then again, the bigger miracle might be the fact that Bryan Holaday couldn't manage just one more homer in 2018 to make that season the across the board standard bearer for Marlins catcher power.

However, with all due respect to Realmuto and friends, this 2025 pairing of Ramirez and Hicks is just a case of being built different when it comes to said Marlins catcher power. The duo already just needs 14 HRs between them to pass Realmuto and Ellis. That much could happen by the All-Star Break, let alone the end of the season. And with just 16 HRs to go over 115 games for Ramirez? That feels pretty likely right now as well. Pace wise, even Willingham's 26 HRs from 2006 could be in trouble. Get your mean Marlins catcher trivia questions in now.

Will there be some Miami Marlins history made at catcher in 2025? It's going to be a fun summer finding out.