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Agustín Ramírez Can Hit, But Should He Continue To Catch?
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- Agustín Ramírez Can Hit, But Should He Continue To Catch?
(Credit: Matt Marton | Imagn Images)
Agustin Ramirez could be a Marlin on the Move Soon
The Miami Marlins have a promising young hitter in catcher Agustín Ramírez , but the imbalance in his overall game may lead the team to inevitably face this difficult question: Is keeping him behind the plate worth the defensive shortcomings that come with it?
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Ramírez has shown offensive potential to become an important part of Miami's lineup for years to come. His power and ability to produce runs make him an intriguing building block for a franchise attempting to develop a competitive core. However, a player's value involves more than what he does with a bat, particularly when his position requires the defensive responsibilities of catching.
The 24-year-old has taken a bit of flak from some for even thinking about touching a glove, leaving folks wondering if the Marlins might try out to explore some alternative options. If a position change is in his future, making the switch sooner could be a win-win for everyone involved.
Catching is easily one of the toughest jobs in baseball. You're constantly managing pitchers, framing pitches, shutting down steals, and taking a beating every single game—all while trying to stay hot at the plate. When a catcher struggles defensively, it hurts the whole pitching staff. Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough explained that earlier this season, stressing that Ramirez needed to improve his glovework and how he works alongside the pitching staff. Still, he remains a popular player in the clubhouse and one that the team will show patience with. Especially since he has so much long-term potential at the plate.
"I have a lot of affinity for [Ramírez]. He's a tough kid, and certainly has had his struggles at times here," the Miami manager stated before discussing his player's defensive miscalculations. "That part of his game needs to continue to improve to be able to catch up here for us."
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Now, Miami has to decide if Ramírez can fix his glove behind the plate or if it makes more sense to move his bat to a new position, because his offense is worth preserving. He hit just .235, but had five home runs, 10 doubles, and 31 runs scored in just 229 at-bats. And he's still feeling his way around Major League Baseball as an emerging batter.
On the flip side, there's plenty of reason to be patient. Ramírez has poured a ton of work into improving behind the dish, and pulling the plug on his catching days too early means giving up on the rare asset of a run-producing bat at a marquee defensive spot. The Marlins ought to keep monitoring his growth instead of writing off his defense as a lost cause just yet.
At the end of the day, the goal is to put the most competitive club on the field, not shoehorning someone into a spot just because that's where he started. For now, however, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix says the team isn't going to look at a permanent, full-time switch right away.
""We're not taking away the catching," Bendix flatly stated when discussing the immediate plan.
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Should Ramírez turn into even a passable backstop, then he could be a valuable offensive weapon who can also work well with baseball's 'tools of ignorance'.At that position, his pop makes him massively valuable. At the same time, if that glove doesn't come around, Miami has to be ready to pivot. His long-term trajectory might come down less to mastering duties behind the plate, and more on whether McCullough can find a spot that lets his bat do the heavy lifting.
