Rafael Marchán
When starting catcher J.T. Realmuto was sidelined due to an injury and surgery on his right knee back in June, Rafael Marchán was summoned from the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley to take his spot on the roster. At the time, it was expected that Marchán would work in tandem with Garrett Stubbs as the backup catcher until Realmuto’s return from the IL.
However, Marchán made the most of his opportunity by putting on a show during his short stint with the club. In just 17 games, he impressed by putting up stellar numbers across the board, posting a .294 batting average and an .894 OPS, along with eight runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and six RBI over 51 at-bats. Just for comparison, Stubbs managed only a .196 average and a .518 OPS, with just four runs scored, one double, one home run and three RBI in 17 games over that same stretch.
Despite Marchán’s strong showing, he was sent down back to the minors upon the reinstatement of Realmuto from the injured list. But it wasn’t because Marchan didn’t perform well enough. It was because the Phillies wanted to be sure he was playing every day to further his growth and development. That way, his additional grooming could lead to him potentially becoming their backup catcher in 2025. By that time, look for Marchán to play a bigger role, as Realmuto’s workload will likely be reduced in the coming years.