Rafael Marchán, a former Philadelphia Phillies catcher prospect, has had a terrible couple of years. After debuting at 21 with a brief three-day stint with the big club in 2020, injuries and positional hurdles have mostly reduced Marchán to an afterthought as a new crop of elite prospects has begun to gain traction in the Phillies farm system.
Injured Phillies catcher finally plays again
Marchán, who had recently returned to catching responsibilities, missed the whole spring training season due to lower back problems. The injury was judged serious enough that the Phillies placed him on the 10-day injured list on March 28. Currently on a rehab assignment at Low-A Clearwater, it’s encouraging that the former No. 5 prospect is back on the field and enjoying early success in 2024.
Doubles to dubs!
Phillies C Rafael Marchan was 2-for-3 with a home run in his rehab appearance while No. 2 Phillies prospect Aidan Miller, No. 7 Phillies prospect Devin Saltiban, Keaton Anthony and Trent Farquhar combined for 6 doubles in last night’s 12-6 win. pic.twitter.com/aZGsw9BXDm
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) May 18, 2024
Marchán is hitting.273 with a 1.012 OPS in four games and 15 plate appearances with the Threshers, with three hits, one home run, three RBI, three walks, and one stolen base. Marchán’s home run in Friday night’s game was a moonshot to right field that broke a 2-2 deadlock in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds’ single-A affiliate Daytona.
Rafael Marchán has a lot to prove this season.
Marchán, who is still only 25, may be surprised to learn that it has been over four years since he last played in a Phillies uniform. A slight knee injury that forced starting catcher J.T. Realmuto to miss a few games last week served as a reminder of the importance of having major league-ready catching depth at the minor league system’s highest levels. Fortunately, Realmuto is back in action without the need for an IL trip, and backup catcher Garrett Stubbs did an adequate job in his absence.
What would the Phillies have done if Realmuto needed an IL stint? While Stubbs performs a respectable job behind the plate in limited action, it’s no secret that playing him every day would result in a significant reduction in productivity for a formidable Phillies offense. Stubbs possesses intangibles such as clubhouse leadership.A 103 batting average and 12 strikeouts in 39 at-bats leaves much to be desired. This is not the type of hitter you want to see on a championship-caliber baseball team.
So this begs the question. Is there a clear avenue for Marchán to rejoin the Phillies in the event of Realmuto’s injury?
Marchán is too old to be considered a prospect at this time, but his performance in 2024 will have to be strong if he wants to be considered to back up Realmuto in the Major Leagues at some point. While Marchán has never demonstrated much power, his bat has typically been above average in his 407 minor league career games, with a.265 batting average, seven home runs, and 165 RBI in 1,453 at-bats.
With Garrett Stubbs as the backup catcher, it would be unlikely that the Phillies would recall Marchán to the big leagues this year unless he suffered a severe injury. A change of scenery could be beneficial to all parties involved, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Phillies included him in a future trade.
