The Miami Marlins are calling up their top catcher prospect, Agustín Ramírez, according to FanDuel Sports Network. He is expected to make his MLB debut against the Reds this coming week.
Ramírez, 23, was ranked as the Marlins’ second-best prospect in the spring by CBS Sports’ prospect guru R.J. Anderson, who said the following:
Ramirez, obtained from the Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, is a dark horse Rookie of the Year Award candidate if the Marlins give him enough playing time at the highest level. He batted .246/.345/.411 with 22 extra-base hits across 68 Triple-A games, all the while recording an exit velocity of at least 95 mph on more than 40% of his batted balls. (The average for MLB catchers was 38.2%.) Ramirez also has a good feel for the zone and contact, making him a potential offensive force. Unfortunately, his defensive skills continue to lag, to the extent that his value could be diminished by a justifiable move down the defensive spectrum. The Marlins have every reason in the world to keep him in the squat for at least a while longer. Any meaningful gains on that side of the ball will make him into a very interesting player.
Ramírez hit .258/.320/.500 with seven doubles, three homers, 12 RBI and five stolen bases in five attempts in his 18 games with Triple-A Jacksonville heading into Sunday.
The Marlins have used three catchers so far this season, Liam Hicks, Nick Fortes and Rob Brantly, though none have performed well enough to consider them blocking Ramírez and his development.
The Marlins got a come-from-behind win on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak. They are 9-12 on the season. They’ll host the Reds Monday to start a three-game series in Miami (MIA -102, CIN -118, over/under 7.5, per DraftKings).
