All that should matter for Miami Marlins catcher battle this spring

There has been no more debated position for the Miami Marlins the last six months than catcher.

Some of you might be sitting there thinking I'm forgetting about a position ninety feet to the northeast, but...there's been no debate about first base. You. Me. Barry Jackson. Ken Rosenthal. The only people on the planet who didn't expect more to be done about the position this offseason, and that still want to see more done about it, appear to work for the Miami Marlins front office.

Catcher though? Plenty of material there. Is Joe Mack the next Charles Johnson or J.T. Realmuto? Is Agustin Ramirez doomed to be Jorge Alfaro without the arm? And then lost in the shuffle between last year’s top prospect buzz for Mack and Rookie of the Year chatter for Ramirez is Liam Hicks. He’s already proven himself better defensively at either of the positions Ramirez is likely to play this year, and has done so at the MLB level Mack is yet to reach.

At that MLB level, Ramirez has flashed tantalizing skills at the plate. He’s a genuine threat to go 20/20 that has plenty of room to grow as a hitter. Mack has really taken off offensively in the minors the past couple seasons, but his work behind the plate remains the primary calling card. Concerns remain about the bat remotely playing in the majors: Jeff Mathis with better pop might be the better MLB comp than Realmuto here. Hicks is…fine, but that’s probably the ceiling. The battle for who puts both sides of their craft together the best first is one of the primary storylines for the 2026 Miami Marlins. 

And it’s a battle the Marlins need to start allowing to play out ASAP- this very spring.

Should Mack's grand slam Tuesday afternoon mean more than the fact Ramirez has started the spring going 0 for 7? Not at all- both facts are as meaningless as any other spring counting stat. Mack's grand slam, while exciting, came off a pitcher that was drafted four years ago and hasn't yet appeared in the majors. Ramirez is in zero danger of not having an MLB job at the end of camp and could have been doing anything from working on his eye at the plate to planning his Publix shopping list during those seven at-bats. Ramirez could have drawn pitchers trying to succeed, whereas Mack got a guy trying to learn a new pitch. There's just no telling in February.

But should Ramirez airmailing a ball into the outfield on a throw to second mean something?

Most definitely.

For defensive struggles are a continuation of a story that a pretty significant MLB sample size last season says might just be the norm for Ramirez. He led the majors in errors and passed balls in 2025. His season WAR was -0.4...in a season where he hit 21 HRs and stole 16 bases. You've got to be really bad defensively to pull that off. Thus defense is what he most needs to be working on this spring.

At least, it is if the Marlins continue this policy of trying to make him be a catcher. Could worrying about his defense be holding him back at the plate? Who knows? He's almost certainly a better hitter than Mack will be in the majors, and is indeed a better hitter than most MLB catchers, period. You can understand the desire to make this work. As a catcher, he's elite. As a DH or first baseman, he's good, but hardly unmatched.

But what if Mack proves he can bring the power with him to The Show, while providing top tier defense?

It does need to be both with Mack to be sure- defensive and offensive clinics alike from the rookie this spring. He'll get plenty of runway to make this happen too with both Hicks and Ramirez slated for World Baseball Classic duty. If he stumbles in either aspect, the Marlins will proceed with the service time shenanigans, claiming more minor league seasoning is needed.

If he comes up with a few more big hits while proving he is the far and away superior defensive player though to all the other Marlins catchers in camp? If he continues to shine while Ramirez continues to struggle?

Then you have to give Mack the job and relegate Ramirez to being the Marlins primary DH.