Blue Jays Nation’s countdown of the Top 20 Canadian Baseball Prospects for the 2025 season is underway. Next, we’ll look at a double-A catcher who was taken in last week’s Rule 5 Draft.

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Organization: Miami Marlins

Position: Catcher

Acquired: Rule 5 Draft (2024)

It’s been a whirlwind of four and a half months for backstop Liam Hicks. Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2021, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers as part of the return in the Carson Kelly deadline deal last July. Hicks played out the rest of the year with the Tigers’ double-A affiliate before being selected by the Marlins with the second overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. Despite rumours that he could be dealt again to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Marlins decided against making the move. The former Arkansas State Red Wolf will need to stay on the Marlins 26-man roster for the season, or else he will return to the Tigers organization.

Hicks has established himself as an on-base machine since being drafted, routinely walking around a 12% clip or higher throughout his minor league stops. His patience and all-fields approach culminate in an elite career on-base percentage of .405. As one may expect from a smaller player, the 5-foot-9 backstop doesn’t produce a ton of power, bopping just 13 home runs in 265 games, good for just a .374 career slugging percentage. Even still, teams would happily live with the lack of pop from their catcher if they can get on base.

The 25-year-old gained some national media attention during last year’s Arizona Fall League where he collected nine hits in nine at-bats, including a six-hit game. He ended up slashing .449/.553/.522 through 18 games, all the while raising his stock as a prospect.

The biggest question mark with Hicks’ game and overall projection is his defense behind the plate. There are some question marks surrounding his future behind the plate, with some speculating that he would have likely debuted in the majors already if his defense was closer to average. He has thrown out just 17% of runners during his professional career. It may not be realistic to expect much will change going forward, but it looks like the Marlins believe that he could be someone who can contribute in the big leagues whether it is behind the plate or potentially in the DH spot – another familiar position for the Ontario product.

Hicks’ major league role will ultimately decide how tolerable his defense is. Few argue with the fact that the Toronto-born backstop’s bat-to-ball skills and understanding of the strike zone will likely make him a useful offensive player in the major leagues. This likely gives him a floor of a backup/depth catcher long-term who can come off the bench and pinch hit when needed.

The best example from 2024 of a catcher who earned significant playing time despite poor defense was Connor Wong for the Boston Red Sox. His Fangraphs defensive grade of -6.9 was last among players who played at least 700 innings behind the plate. However, his 110 wRC+ placed him 7th among catchers.  Hicks has the trajectory to produce a higher on-base percentage than Wong moving forward, although he possesses considerably less power. The Red Sox also used Wong at first base and DH, which could be something we see the Marlins do with Hicks.

Since he was taken in the Rule 5 Draft, the Marlins will have to carry Hicks on their Opening Day roster for the duration of their season. However, it is not all that uncommon for players to be returned to their former organization, especially if their club deems them unworthy of a roster spot coming out of Spring Training. Just last year we saw Rule 5 Draft selection Deyvison De Los Santos fail to make the Minnesota Twins opening day roster and return to the Diamondbacks. Coincidentally, De Los Santos is now in the Marlins organization after coming over as the centrepiece of the A.J. Puk trade at the deadline.

If Hicks sticks with the Marlins, look for him to form a catching tandem with the more defensive-minded starter Nick Fortes. If he ends up being returned to the Tigers, he will likely play the majority of the time as their triple-A starting catcher.

#18 – David McCabe

#19 – Calvin Ziegler

#20 – Jeremy Pilon