Trade to Focus on Young Catcher Provided Clarity for Marlins' Future
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After a disappointing showing in 2024, the Miami Marlins bounced back a bit this year.
While the ballclub finished under .500 and third in the NL East, their 79-83 overall record had them on the brink of making the playoffs. They just missed the final NL wild card spot by four games, and that was even after the organization decided to focus on the future at several positions.
Their goal is to develop their young guys and have that core become contenders in the near future. That is why at the end of July, the ballclub decided to trade catcher Nick Fortes to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league left fielder Matthew Etzel.
That opened up playing time for 24-year-old Agustín Ramírez, who had been in the Marlins' farm system since 2024 as part of the return for Jazz Chisholm Jr. The talented youngster proved his value immediately for Miami, as Fortes finished the year with a lesser stat line across the board than
Ramírez when it came to slash line, RBIs and home runs.
He still has kinks to work out, but this was his first season on a major league field. And based on how he performed this year, he has all the makings of turning into a franchise player for the Marlins.
Agustin Ramírez's First Season in the Majors
Ramírez made his debut at the end of April against the Cincinnati Reds. He made an impact immediately when he finished that game 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, a drawn walk, three total bases and a steal.
By the end of his first year, he finished as arguably the best all-around weapon for Miami with a stat line that proved how valuable he was to this offense:
- 21 Home Runs (second)
- 124 Hits (third)
- 72 Runs (second)
- 33 Doubles (first)
- 16 Stolen Bases (third)
- .413 Slugging Percentage (first)
- .700 OPS (first
- .287 On-Base Percentage (fourth)
- 36 Drawn Walks (fifth)
- 67 RBI (third)
The organization took a step forward with the decision to give the 24-year-old a shot this season, and it's going to pay off in the long run if he can continue to develop.
Agustin Ramirez is the first rookie catcher in MLB history to have 30+2B/20+HR/15+SB pic.twitter.com/yDdIjpoTiN
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) September 27, 2025
After he was acquired from the Yankees, Ramírez spend the rest of the 2024 campaign with Triple-A Jacksonville. He showed well there with a .262/.358/.447 slash line, five home runs and 24 RBI across 39 games, but he began this season back there to start the year.
However, he only played 19 games in the minors before he was promoted for his big league debut. It was time for him to get a shot behind the plate, and the Marlins recognized that.
Miami will continue to make upgrades this offseason to build a roster that can play in October, but their decision to part ways with Fortes to give Ramírez a shot was the right call that might have solidified an important position going forward.
