The Philadelphia Phillies will have an interesting decision to make in terms of their backup catcher. With J.T. Realmuto expected to return from the injured list soon, the team will have to choose between two options. Both Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán have compelling cases to be the Phillies’ backup catcher going forward. In this case, minor league options are not a factor because both Stubbs and Marchán are in their last option year. Neither player has more than five years of major league service time, meaning an option being rejected by a player is not a factor.
Phillies Face a Backup Catcher Decision
The Case For and Against Stubbs
In 36 games this season, Stubbs has a .185/.261/.231 line with one home run and six RBI, along with a 41 OPS+ and a 44 wRC+. FanGraphs rates him with a -6.8 offensive value. In the 17 games Stubbs has played since Realmuto went on the injured list, he has a .196/.250/.268 line with one home run and three RBI. During that span, he has a 47 wRC+ and a .278 BABIP as well. In those 17 games, Stubbs has a 4.9% walk rate and a 31.1% strikeout rate, while having an 8.3% walk rate and a 26.7% strikeout rate overall this season.
GARRETT STUBBS TO THE SECOND DECK!! pic.twitter.com/f5IOWCMn1i
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) June 29, 2024
While the offense may not be great Stubbs is a good defensive catcher. FanGraphs gives him a 1.7 defensive value this season. Baseball Savant ranks Stubbs in the 82nd percentile for pop time, and he ranks in the 86th percentile in caught stealing above average this season. However, Stubbs has -3 Defensive Runs Saved and a -2 Fielding Runs Value at catcher this season according to FanGraphs. With that being said, the pitching staff and Phillies clubhouse like Stubbs’s presence.
The Case For and Against Marchán
In 17 games this season, Marchán has a .294/.345/.549 line with three home runs and six RBI. He also has a 148 OPS+ and a 149 wRC+. FanGraphs rates Marchán with a 2.7 offensive value this season. At the plate, he has a 5.4% walk rate and a 14.3% strikeout rate. Marchán has a .300 BABIP this season. He has been especially hot since June 30. In that time, Marchán has a .381/.458/.667 line with one home run and two RBI, along with a 213 wRC+, an 8.0% walk rate, and a 20.0% strikeout rate.
Ring it, Rafael!!#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/t4AfHX8tpe
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 27, 2024
FanGraphs rates Marchán with a 1.5 defensive value this season, giving him -1 Defensive Runs Saved with a 1 Fielding Run Value. Marchán does not have many Baseball Savant percentile rankings due to the limited amount of playing time he has this season. However, he does rank in the 64th percentile for blocks above average this season. His only other Baseball Savant ranking puts him in the 2oth percentile in sprint speed.
Who Should Be The Phillies Backup Catcher
The decision will be a tough one given how well Marchán has played. Stubbs has also not had the greatest season at the plate. However, when all factors are considered, keeping Stubbs as the backup catcher makes the most sense. Marchán has been injured for most of his career and has played in only 40 major league games. Additionally, Marchán has not had a major league season with more than 57 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Stubbs has played in 178 major league games and is beloved within the Phillies clubhouse.
The best thing to do is option Marchán to Triple-A Lehigh Valley once Realmuto returns. That will allow Marchán to play on a more regular basis as opposed to playing once or twice a week in the majors. Since he has spent a lot of time on the injured list over the years, it is better to have him playing consistently at Triple-A. This will allow the Phillies to revisit and reevaluate the backup catching spot in the offseason. It would not necessarily be a surprise if Marchán is the Phillies backup catcher next season instead of Stubbs, but right now is not the right time.
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