Miami Marlins Catchers Hitting a Historic Low
The Miami Marlins have been in search of a long-term answer at catcher ever since trading J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies in February 2019. Jorge Alfaro, acquired in that trade, was initially seen as the potential solution but has failed to live up to expectations. Since then, the Marlins have cycled through a revolving door of catchers, including Jacob Stallings and numerous veteran role players, with little success.
The current season has been particularly disastrous behind the plate for the Marlins. Glove-first Nick Fortes and trade acquisition Christian Bethancourt were expected to shoulder the load, but their production has been abysmal. Through the first 25 games, Marlins catchers have managed a combined five hits, all from Fortes. Bethancourt is hitless in 23 plate appearances, while Jhonny Pereda, who was recently called up from Triple-A Jacksonville, has gone 0-for-5. Overall, Marlins catchers own a staggering .068/.117/.096 slash line, placing them at the bottom of the league. By measure of wRC+, Miami catchers have been 138% worse than league-average (-38).
The Marlins’ struggles at catcher are not entirely unexpected. Fortes hit just .204/.263/.299 in 323 plate appearances last season, while Bethancourt, despite having more power, has a history of striking out frequently and walking rarely. However, the lack of production has been far worse than anyone could have anticipated, putting the Marlins on pace for one of the worst catching tandems in MLB history.
Despite recognizing the need for improvement, the Marlins have made no significant effort to address the position. Veteran options such as Eric Haase, Joey Bart, Francisco Mejia, and Curt Casali have all become available recently, but the Marlins have shown no interest in acquiring any of them. This is particularly puzzling given the lack of depth and long-term solutions in the organization’s farm system.
The Marlins’ current situation at catcher is unsustainable. Fortes and Bethancourt are unlikely to suddenly become productive hitters, and the team has no viable alternatives in the minors. The Marlins will need to make a move at some point, either by trading for an established veteran or by targeting a catching prospect in a future trade. However, with the season slipping away, it is unlikely that the Marlins will make any significant moves until the trade deadline or offseason.
