Marlins’ backstops working to master the art of the challenge

DETROIT -- One of the biggest storylines revolving around the 2026 Marlins concerned how Agustín Ramírez and Liam Hicks would fare behind the dish in their second big league season as a catching tandem.

The weekend’s first two games, including Saturday afternoon’s 6-1 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, provided a glimpse at both the good and the bad.

“I think as a whole, both of those guys have continued to make strides, and really, for the most part, have done good things,” manager Clayton McCullough said.

It starts with the introduction of the ABS Challenge System, which handed a new responsibility to Marlins backstops.

Entering Saturday, the Marlins had successfully overturned 18 calls -- tied with the Rockies for most in the Majors -- and paced all clubs with 28 challenges. Despite that frequency, Miami’s catchers aren’t challenging for the sake of it. They are being strategic, primarily pulling the trigger on two-strike counts or with runners in scoring position.

With the Marlins already down, 2-0, with a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the third inning, Ramírez quickly tapped the top of his helmet to challenge the ball call on right-hander Janson Junk’s 94.8 mph four-seamer to the left-handed-hitting Colt Keith.

Upon review, the fastball clipped the inside corner, becoming the fourth strikeout gained for the Marlins with the ABS system -- tied for the third-highest total among MLB clubs. They also have eliminated two walks -- the second-highest mark.

Among Major League catchers with at least nine challenges, Ramírez ranks second in overturn percentage (11-for-14, 79%). He credits last season's Triple-A experience for his prowess.

“They've been doing a great job, especially Gus,” Junk said. “I've only thrown to Gus so far, and I think he's gotten me a few. Just watching the games, both [Hicks] and Gus have been really good to understand the zone. I thought that strike three call was really good on him. From my perspective, I thought it was all the way in the zone. That's why we don't challenge. But that was a big strikeout, and [I’m] thankful for the ABS to be able to have the opportunity.”

The sequence proved critical since the next batter, Dillon Dingler, swung and connected with Ramírez’s glove as he got out of his squat for a throw to second. Rather than a ball in play, Ramírez received an error for catcher’s interference. Instead of the third out of the frame, Detroit had two runners on base to set up Riley Greene’s three-run homer.

“Some of these things seem to only happen to me,” Ramírez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I'm just making the play, trying to catch the ball so I can throw the ball, and then, you find a bat in the middle of the way.

“I think there's been some positives on the defensive side. You try to do your best all the time. Like in this situation, it's a bit frustrating, right? You get the error for something like that, and then there's more runs that come along. So I just wish these things don't happen, so we can just continue to do more good stuff and good positive things, because the outcome doesn't reflect it.”

The Marlins needed to see defensive improvement from their catchers after both struggled as rookies, especially with No. 5 prospect Joe Mack (MLB Pipeline’s No. 58 overall prospect) at Triple-A Jacksonville with his Gold Glove-winning pedigree.

So far in 2026, both Ramírez and Hicks appear to be trending upward.

In 2025, Ramírez led MLB in passed balls (19) and errors (10), and his -14 defensive runs saved trailed just Royals veteran Salvador Perez (-15). In a smaller workload, Hicks tallied two errors, three passed balls and 0 DRS.

Through 15 games, they have combined for three errors, two of them this weekend on catcher’s interference during Dingler plate appearances. Hicks has yet to record a passed ball, while Ramírez has two. Ramírez entered Saturday with 1 DRS; Hicks had 0. The former has thrown out two of 13 basestealers, while Hicks has yet to nab a runner for an MLB-leading 11 steals against.

“I think they've both done nice,” McCullough said. “Gus has really blocked the ball very well this year, and they've had some chances to make some throws, at least made accurate throws. They've both done a really nice job with the ABS, and not only some of the success they've had with it and flipping some counts and some at-bats [but] their aggressiveness in which they feel confident to go fire has been great.”