Rafael Marchán
Phillies fans love Rafael Marchán, as do the Phillies. Although, the team doesn't love him quite enough to replace backup catcher Garrett Stubbs just yet.
Splitting extended time with Stubbs while J.T. Realmuto was on the IL this season, Marchán opened some eyes as to what he brings at and behind the plate (subscription required), per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey. In 17 games for the Phillies, the 25-year-old batted .294/.345/.549 with three home runs.
Mashed by Marchán#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/Y3jyaAbPOU
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 4, 2024
More impressive than the results he got in his third stint in the majors were some of the underlying plate discipline numbers. He only walked at a 5.4 percent clip but struck out at just 14.3 percent of the time. For comparison, Stubbs is striking out at a 27.3 percent pace this season, and the league average is 22.4 percent.
Marchán's numbers at Triple-A this season are solid but not eye-popping. He went on a tear after being sent back down, hitting .371 with a .910 OPS over 10 games. He has gone hitless in his last five games, but even so, his performance with the Phillies this year should be enough for the team to at least consider him as an option.
Marchán was the extra player called up for the London Series, but that was when the Phillies were dealing with Realmuto's bum knee. Carrying three catchers isn't unheard of with expanded rosters. With the offense's struggles, they might be concerned enough about getting some extra production from the backup catcher position to use their lone extra position player roster spot on Marchán — he certainly deserves another look at the major league level.