When news broke of catcher J.T. Realmuto's injury, many Phillies fans were anxious about how things would look behind the dish while he was recovering. The Phillies planned to platoon their backup catcher Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán, the next-best catcher in the organization and someone who has spent time in the majors.
With the starting backstop out, the Phillies played to a 17-15 record with little to no drop-off in play from the catching position.
Marchán was very impressive, not only defensively as he's shown throughout his career, but also at the plate. During Realmuto's absence, the 25-year-old hit .294 with a .894 OPS in 56 plate appearances while smashing three homers. The other option at catcher, Stubbs, was nearly as good at first, batting an average of .302 before entering a horrid slump on July 2.
Even behind the plate, Marchán had the edge. As of July 10, when behind the dish, Phillies pitchers had a 0.16 lower ERA with Marchan in favor of Stubbs (3.63 compared to 3.79). In most areas, it seemed like the Venezuelan was the man for the job.
Phillies confirm their reasons for keeping Garrett Stubbs as the backup
However, when Realmuto returned to the active roster, Marchán was the coinciding move, being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To many fans, it was a surprise, but the Phillies have the bigger picture in mind for the young catcher.
Manager Rob Thomson spoke about the decision between Stubbs and Marchán this past weekend, according to Phillies Nation's Destiny Lugardo.
“He showed us everything we needed to see, but he needs to play," Thomson said, per Lugardo. "He needs to be ready to play every day. We just thought that was a smart thing to do. Stubby has done a great job as well. He’s been here for a couple of years and you know how important Stubby is to the clubhouse, but Marchán needs to play and that’s the number one factor.”
As the Phillies stand atop MLB with the best record, which backup catcher is on the roster is going to have little impact on the overall scheme of things. In the Phillies' mind, they can get more value out of both catchers in the roles they are in now: Stubbs as a solid clubhouse presence with a good glove and Marchán as your everyday catcher in the near future. The extra at-bats in the minors will lead to greater progression.
The other major reason for Stubbs' spot on the 26-man roster is his vocality. Stubbs is an active leader in the clubhouse, on the field, in public and wherever you see Phillies baseball. The 31-year-old catcher double times as a player, coach and media personality for the squad.
Down the stretch, it's likely that Realmuto will find a few extra days off in preparation for the postseason, in which he'll play every game, deeming the backup catcher argument pointless. Between 2022 and 2023, Stubbs didn't tally one at-bat in any playoff series. The future, however, is wide open.
Garrett Stubbs has the backup job for now
Realmuto's contract ends following the 2025 season, creating an opportunity for competition. Marchán was a top-5 prospect in the Phillies system as recently as 2021 and, as Thomson said, is a major league-caliber bat and glove. The consistency and repetition need to come first though.
The road to this point has been tough for Marchán. The last three seasons, when he was expected to blossom into a major league backstop were injury-ridden and caused him to miss extended periods with a multitude of problems.
While the Phillies are hunting their third straight National League Championship appearance, this move is more to ensure the future of the position rather than the right now. Marchán showed a ton of promise in his limited action and has earned the chance to become not only the backup catcher next year but potentially the starting catcher as soon as 2026.