PHILADELPHIA— Let the battle commence.
After a round of minor league demotions on Monday, the Philadelphia Phillies are moving closer to their 26-man roster. As the month changes to March, the Phillies have roughly three weeks to determine who will make their team as they head north to play the Nationals.
The core of the team has already been penciled in. Players such as Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, JT Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber have their spots locked in as Spring Training rolls on. Barring injury, each player will see their names in the Opening Day lineup.
It’s the players on the bench that are still fighting for their chance to make the squad. For the first time in several seasons, there is a battle for the backup catcher position.
Marchan vs. Stubbs
The battle for the backup catcher might be the most interesting watch in the Phillies camp.
Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs are both competing to earn the backup role to JT Realmuto. Stubbs has held that position since 2022, but after an extended run in 2024, Rafael Marchan pushed his way into the picture. With Marchan out of minor league options, Garrett’s spot on the roster is no longer guaranteed. Whoever performs the best in March will likely get the nod.
In four games, Rafael Marchan is hitting .333/.400/.444/.844 with 3 hits, including a double. Per Baseball Reference, Rafael has faced Triple-A quality pitching in those at-bats, since Spring Training is a mix of all types of experienced players. On their March 2nd game against the Blue Jays, he tossed out two runners trying to steal second base as well. Flashing the arm talent along with his bat. His extra-base hit and switch-hitting ability are also feathers in his cap.
However, Garrett Stubbs is right behind him. Stubbs has slashed .300/.417/.300/.717 in five Spring Training games. Stubbs has three singles to his credit and has reached base 5 times. He has also faced a good mix of Double and Triple-A pitching during his limited Grapefruit League action. Stubbs having great relationships and experience catching the start staff is an advantage that he holds over his teammate.
Who will the Phillies choose?
If Spring Training ended today, Rafael Marchan would earn the nod.
Between his 17 games in the majors during the 2024 season and his early offensive production in camp, I believe that Rafael Marchan is ahead in this race. While Garrett has kept up with Rafael in terms of Spring Training numbers, two major factors are going against him.
The first and most important factor is roster flexibility. If the Phillies want to put Rafael Marchan on a minor league roster, they would have to DFA or designate for assignment. This would give 29 other clubs a chance to add a young and talented catcher to their roster for free. There is no chance that he would make it back to the Phillies in this scenario. If Dave Dombrowski chose to move Garrett Stubbs to Triple-A, he could do so with no challenges present.
The other factor that is in Marchan’s favor is his bat. Even though he played in 34 fewer games than his teammate, Rafael surpassed Garrett in nearly every offensive category. While JT Realmuto is going to play a majority of games, Rob Thomson has openly commented on reducing his workload in 2025. The Phillies’ skipper will feel far more confident in that decision if his backup can produce on both sides of the plate.
The race is not yet over and there are still plenty of games to be played. If Garrett Stubbs is going to win this battle, he is going to have to catch fire in Spring Training. Otherwise, the Phillies might be looking for a new clubhouse DJ.
Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
