Liam Hicks is Miami's Best Rule 5 Draft Pick Since the 2010s

For most MLB fans, the Rule 5 Draft comes and goes with little excitement—an afterthought in December, overshadowed by free agent rumors and blockbuster trades across the league. But every now and then, a team strikes gold. For the Miami Marlins, that gold may have come in the form of catcher Liam Hicks—a quiet pickup from the Detroit Tigers' Double-A affiliate, the Erie Sea Wolves.

Taken in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, Hicks entered a catching room desperate for help and a franchise starving for steady offense behind the plate. And what has he done since Spring Training? Only outperformed expectations—showcasing sharp plate discipline, gap-to-gap power, clutch hitting with runners in scoring position, and emerging defensive traits that give the Marlins a potential long-term answer at one of the game’s most demanding positions.

It’s early, sure—but the comparisons are already being drawn, and rightly so. You’d have to go back more than a decade to find a Rule 5 success story in Miami that mirrors Hicks’ trajectory. That player? Justin Bour.

Back in 2013, the Marlins snagged Justin Bour from the Chicago Cubs in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. What followed was one of the most unexpected power surges in franchise history. In 2017, Bour slugged 25 home runs and earned a spot in the Home Run Derby, where he famously squared off against—and nearly upset—eventual winner Aaron Judge in a thrilling first-round showdown that made Marlins Park erupt.

But where Bour was all strength and big-man charisma, Hicks is about sharp contact and coming up huge in big moments. He’s not hitting 400-foot bombs, but he’s getting on base at an impressive clip and consistently putting the ball in play—often better than some of the league’s more established hitters.

What makes Hicks’ story unique isn’t just his numbers this season (.282 AVG, 4 HR, 20 RBI, .839 OPS)—it’s the path he took to get here. Overlooked in both the Cubs and Tigers minor league systems, Hicks embodies the true spirit of the Rule 5 Draft. It’s not always about splashy moves—it’s about finding value. And for a guy who never played above Double-A, this opportunity has become a dream scenario for both parties involved.

Hicks is the Most Valuable Rule 5 Draft Pick Miami Has Made in Over 10 Years

Since being plucked from the Tigers system in the Rule 5 Draft, Liam Hicks has delivered the kind of value that front offices dream of but rarely see. Through the first six plus weeks of the season, Hicks has a strikeout rate under 17%—outpacing every other catcher on the Marlins' depth chart. For a franchise that has cycled through stopgap catchers for years, Hicks has brought rare stability and maturity. His ability to handle Miami’s young arms, grind out at-bats, and contribute in high-leverage moments has made him one of the most impactful under-the-radar additions in the league.

It's far too soon to carve Hicks' name into the Miami Marlins Hall of Fame, but if he keeps up this pace, the next Rule 5 Draft won't be an afterthought in Miami–it'll be a date that Bendix and his staff will look forward to every year.