In the grand scheme of things, one game in the 162-game MLB season doesn't a player make. But on Thursday, in just one game, Philadelphia Phillies backup catcher Rafael Marchán reasserted his spot on the big league roster.
When the Phillies announced their Opening Day roster at the end of March, incumbent backup catcher Garrett Stubbs was replaced by Marchán. Stubbs is plying his trade and biding his time in Triple-A. Even though J.T. Realmuto is struggling at the plate, Marchán has seen limited action over the first two months as the backup.
Coming into Game 1 of the Phillies' doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, the switch-hitting Marchán had seen just 37 plate appearances over 12 games. And, if we're being honest, the 26-year-old hadn't done much with the bat to impress Phillies fans, and likely manager Rob Thomson and the front office.
Rafael Marchán just came up with a massive game for the Phillies against the Braves
Touted as a strong defensive backstop with a more potent offensive upside than Stubbs, Marchán had been hitting just .156 with a .399 OPS, two RBIs and no home runs before getting the call to start the matinée affair.
In his previous appearances, including in the Phillies' last doubleheader, Marchán had looked like he was pressing at the plate and on the base paths. Understandably, it seemed like he was trying to impress in his limited time on the field.
But on Thursday, he made his presence felt in a big way, and was a key figure in the Phillies' 5-4 win with some big-time plays. He got the Phillies on the board with a line-drive two-run home run in the third inning:
Marchán followed that up in the fifth with a walk in his second at-bat. He eventually came around to score the Phillies' third run on a Trea Turner grounder, with an aggressive base running play that forced Braves third baseman Austin Riley into a poor throw to the plate:
Finally, he played hero in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Marchán took a pitch off the top of his right foot, bringing the eventual winning run home.
All in all, Marchán finished the day 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.
Oh, and as if his performance at the plate wasn't enough, Marchán, who excels at controlling the running game with his arm, also included a couple of defensive gems in his highlight package. He nailed Stuart Fairchild on an attempted steal with a beautiful throw to second to end the top of the fourth. Then he made a clutch play in the top of the ninth, gunning down Ozzie Albies with this gorgeous bullet:
"It's exciting, man," Marchán said during his postgame interview on the field. "I don't play too much, so when I contribute like that and I hit a homer and I help the team to win and I throw runners out and I call a good game, everything is good. Everything is good, I'm just excited and happy today."
While the Phillies were essentially forced to include Marchán on the roster to avoid losing him on waivers, if he can show the offensive abilities he has flashed in the past and brought to the ballpark on Thursday, he'll stick as the backup for the rest of the season.