Philadelphia Phillies Have Decision to Make on Backup Catcher

While J.T. Realmuto is rightfully locked into the starting role, Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan have been battling to make the Opening Day roster. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com shared some insight into the Phillies' thought process on the battle, writing:

Garrett Stubbs has been J.T. Realmuto’s backup the past three seasons. He is a diligent worker, and extremely popular in the clubhouse because of the energy he brings to the team over the grind of a six-month season. But Stubbs is trying to beat out Rafael Marchan for the job. In another season, Stubbs could be perceived as the favorite. But Marchan is out of options, while Stubbs has one remaining. Baseball operations departments typically covet organizational depth, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson said if one catcher clearly outplays the other it won’t matter, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

Both Stubbs and Marchan have played well during Spring Training. However, if the competition is solely based on production, the former appears to have the edge. 

He is hitting .385 with three RBIs and a 1.068 OPS across 17 plate appearances. The latter has had 14 plate appearances and is hitting .308 with two RBIs; however, his .742 OPS is significantly lower.

In addition to being out of Minor League options and nearly six years younger, Marchan significantly outproduced Stubbs at the plate during his Major League stint in 2024. While Realmuto is considered among the top catchers in baseball, he appeared in just 99 games last season.

The backup catcher position could be pivotal to Philadelphia's success if he faces similar injury concerns. The Phillies begin the regular season on March 27, giving them just over two weeks to decide.