One of the key pieces the Miami Marlins got back at the deadline could bring home some hardware next season.
MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo published joint picks this week for each team’s top Rookie of the Year contender for 2025. They landed on Agustin Ramirez as their selection for the Marlins, four months after he came over in a trade with the New York Yankees.
Ramirez was one of three prospects Miami got in exchange for All-Star utility man Jazz Chisholm Jr. in July, along with infielders Jared Serna and Abrahan Ramirez. The 23-year-old catcher/first baseman from the Dominican Republic was the No. 20 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system at the time of the deal, and he now ranks No. 3 for the Marlins.
In 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A this past season, Ramirez hit .267 with 25 home runs, 93 RBI, 22 stolen bases and an .845 OPS. The year before, he hit .271 with 18 home runs, 69 RBI, 12 stolen bases and an .819 OPS across 114 games of Single-A, High-A and Double-A action.
Considering only two MLB catchers have ever posted a 20-20 season – Philadelphia Phillies All-Star J.T. Realmuto and Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez, both of whom spent time in Miami – Ramirez boasts quite the interesting skillset for his position. It remains to be seen if his defense is major league-caliber, though, so he could wind up at first base when he gets called up.
The Marlins currently have Nick Fortes and Jhonny Pereda as their only big league catchers, and they combined for a -0.1 WAR in 2024. Jonah Bride was a surprising contributor at first base after Josh Bell get traded away, splitting time there with designated hitter Jake Burger, but the former Oakland Athletics slugger is a third baseman by trade.
Regardless of his position, there is a path for Ramirez to get at-bats in 2025, opening the door for him to bring some serious juice to Miami’s lineup. If he can do so, perhaps Ramirez could become the Marlins’ first NL Rookie of the Year winner since the late José Fernández in 2013.
