3 Reasons Agustín Ramírez Could Break Out for the Marlins in 2026
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The catcher position comes with a lot of responsibilities, and it’s not for every big league player. After finishing his first year on the MLB field, Miami Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez knows what he needs to work on to become great. He’s determined to get better and won’t stop until he gets there.
Ramírez Will Blossom Into a Future Star
The Willingness to Get Better Defensively
One of the key areas that every catcher must have on their list is to get better defensively. A catcher must block pitches from getting out of their reach. The ability to throw runners out at second and third base is a must for great catchers, and they also have to pay attention when the runner is starting to get a head start, so they can position themselves to throw them out quickly.
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Ramírez had a lousy 2025 season on defense. He allowed numerous passed balls and recorded 10 errors. His catching skills are a liability so far, but it is clear that he’s working hard during the off-season with his defense.
Joe Mack will present him with the ultimate challenge for the starting role. Ramírez is not ready to give it up yet. As he said during the Marlins Hot Stove Show, he can’t wait for spring training to begin so he can show everyone his progression.
“I’ve just been working really hard on strength and on defense as well. There are a lot of things that I want to improve and show that I can do at the Major League level. I’ve very excited to get spring training started. It will be the first one at the MLB level and I truly want to show so much that I have for the upcoming season.”
Plate Discipline Improvement Will Bolster Offense Production
Looking to 2026 and trying to predict how he will do at the plate, Ramírez will become much better if he stays disciplined. During the 2025 season, he slashed .231/.287/.413 with a .701 OPS. Over 136 games he took 537 at-bats and struck out 113 times.
Ramírez is a player with significant potential to hit 30 to 40 home runs in a single season throughout his career. Just last year, the right-hander hit 21 home runs. The key for him to reach those numbers is to do what he did in the first half of 2025, but even better in 2026, and be consistent all season long.
In his time on the Marlins Hot Stove Show, Ramírez said that he wants all of his stats to improve, of course, but specifically, he said stolen bases and home runs.
In 2025, he found his way to 16 stolen bases. Baseball Reference has predicted this number to go down to 12 in 2026, but after listening to his intentions and hearing about his offseason work, fans can look forward to the Dominican being a significant threat in the stolen base category.
Aside from Kyle Stowers, Ramírez can become the second most-feared hitter in the Marlins lineup. Many guys in the lineup can become a threat, but given the size and power strength of Ramírez, it’s safe to say that he can be a dangerous hitter in the fourth or fifth spot in the lineup.
Right Character and Attitude
At just 24, he has demonstrated that he’s a team player and enjoys having fun on and off the field. He’s becoming a fan favorite in the city of Miami. Playing for a manager like Clayton McCollough will help him become much better as a player and as a person because McCollough is player-friendly, which reminds me of either Terry Francona or Stephen Vogt.
The relationship between a catcher and manager is unique and special. Catchers look to managers for reassurance and confidence when things aren't going their way. McCollough gives the impression that he uplifts his players' spirits and motivates them to play with confidence. When that happens, the rest of the players follow the lead and respect the manager. McCollough and Ramírez’s relationship will grow stronger over time.
Ramírez is 110% all in for the new season. His focus and drive will reach an all-time high. Great things are on the horizon for him.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.