Analyzing Liam Hicks and the rest of Marlins' Rule 5 Draft activity

The Marlins were active in both phases of Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft. Altogether, Miami made four selections and two of their unprotected players were selected by other teams.

Here’s a look at each of the Marlins' acquisitions as well as the newest former Fish.

MLB PHASE

Added C Liam Hicks (DET)

The release of reliever Mike Baumann earlier in the week created the necessary space for the Marlins to participate in the Rule 5's MLB phase. They called the name of Detroit Tigers catcher Liam Hicks.

Hicks was drafted in the 9th round in 2021 out of Arkansas State. His collegiate career was short but impressive. After breaking in and playing in 16 games during the shortened COVID season, Hicks made noise during his junior year, slashing .344/.464/.548 and leading his team in offense. For his defense prowess at catcher, he was named to the watch list for the Buster Posey National Catcher of the Year Award. Overall, Hicks made enough of an impression to be named one of D1’s most draft-eligible hitters. Texas agreed with that title and took him off the board 254th overall.

Following a 10-game cup of coffee in the Arizona Complex League, Hicks flew through three different levels in 2022, starting in rookie ball and ending in High-A. He spent most of his time with the Low-A Down East Wood Ducks where he showcased the same on-base skills that made him stand out as an amateur. In 2023,  after just 75 pro games, Hicks cracked the upper minors. Overall, he handled the promotion very well, slashing .269/.408/.368 with a 52/49 K/BB. He then parlayed that performance into a bombastic Arizona Fall League campaign. In 18 games with Surprise, Hicks hit .449/.553/.522 all without the benefit of a home run. He went 31-for-85. This past season in AA, Hicks took a little bit of a step back offensively by his standards but he was still solid even amidst a trade to a new organization.

Overall, Hicks, who has a career 124 wRC+, shows great instincts and quick hands at the plate. He controls the zone well and forces pitchers to challenge him. His advanced eye and 60-grade hit tool have carried him through his collegiate and minor league career. His solid bat control gives him the ability to spray the ball to all fields and move the line. What Hicks lacks is the ability to impact the baseball. He has averaged just 21 extra-base hits a season. This will be a main area of focus as he comes to the majors.

Also impeding Hicks is his subpar defense. He is an adequate game-caller and has decent arm strength, but he struggles with pop time and arm accuracy. In his MiLB career, he has caught just 31 of 180 runners (17%). This has caused some of his former teams to delegate him to DH and first base. With Miami, Hicks may get a chance to serve as Nick Fortes' primary backup catcher and possible platoon partner. At the very least, he’s a solid lefty bat off the bench.

Shortly after his selection, there was a rumor that Hicks may be quickly flipped to the Tampa Bay Rays, but a deal didn’t come to fruition.

A native of Toronto, Hicks would become the 10th Canadian to play for the Marlins if he makes their 26-man roster. 

Lost RHP Anderson Pilar (ATL)

Pilar, 26, has been in the minors since he signed as a 16-year-old in 2016. His time with the Marlins was short but pretty sweet. A minor league signing by Miami last year after he declared free agency, Pilar was effective out of three affiliates’ bullpens. Spending most of his Marlins’ tenure at Double-A after he was invited to spring training, Pilar put up a 2.64 ERA in 58 innings. He showed dazzling control numbers limiting his walk rate to a lowly 5.2% and striking batters out at a 31% clip.

Pilar has continued to boost his stock since the regular season ended. Pitching for the Dominican Winter League's Gigantes del Cibao, he's made 16 relief appearances with a superb 27/2 K/BB.

Pilar’s control will carry him at the next level. Mileage on his arm also hasn’t seemed to bother Pilar as he has remained, for the most part, very durable. Pilar can top out at 96 mph on occasion, but typically sits 93-94 mph, and he hasn’t ever really been able to feel out his changeup. His mixture of cut fastball, a well-commanded two-seamer and a sweeping slider (his best pitch) that can break both to and away from hitters gives him the ability to generate both a respectable amount of whiffs and ground balls. He’s an innings-eating type middle reliever who deserves a look out of a big-league bullpen. He will get that chance with Atlanta.

MiLB PHASE

Added RHP Ricky DeVito (TEX), INF Jack Winkler (ATH) and RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (LAD)

Ricky DeVito is a 6’3”, 195-pound righty who has been in affiliated ball since 2019. After the missed 2020 season, he suffered injury in 2021 which limited him to just five games. He was converted to relief work and repeated High-A in 2022 and 2023. This past season, the 26-year-old made it to the upper minors where he held down an even 4.00 ERA in 54 IP. He struck out 74 and walked 53.

DeVito throws a four-seam fastball which he can ramp up 98 mph with elevation, a decent 12-6 curveball with good velo separation, a filthy splitter, and a mix-in slider. Along with the high velo, the splitter is a main reason MLB teams have kept close eyes on him. The splitter has been graded as high as 70 on the 20-80 scale by evaluators and can get dead nasty.

When it comes to DeVito, his stuff isn’t in question, but his control is and always has been. With a slow wind that quickly turns into a huge explosive effort towards the plate, DeVito struggles to repeat his mechanics and is often off-balance, falling off the mound. Simplifying his delivery and harnessing his explosiveness will be the main challenge for Marlins’ pitching coaches. If they can do that, DeVito could turn into a filthy reliever with late-inning potential. DeVito is a candidate to be invited to spring training in order to glean the tutelage of MLB coaches. With control improvement, we could see him contribute to the Marlins in 2025.

Jack Winkler is a 26-year-old infielder drafted by the Athletics in the 10th round in 2021. After suffering a season-ending injury in the second half of 2022 which limited him to just 60 games, Winkler hit .253/.331/.355 with some surprising pop for his size. He also showcased plus speed by stealing 19 bags in High-A. He got the call to Double-A for 46 games to end that season where he hit four more home runs.

Winkler spent all of 2024 at Double-A. Offensively, he struggled against Texas League pitching over the full slate, slashing .223/.310/.345, but he did keep his whiff rate at a respectable 21.8%. He also walked at a near 10% rate. The ability to hit for plus contact and keep the ball off the ground as well as some strokes of bad luck are what has stymied Winkler at the Double-A level the past two seasons and for much of his career. With the Midland Rockhounds, his BABIP was .276.

Defensively, Winkler has performed wizardry. He is adaptable and has the ability to handle many positions. Early in his career, he spent most of his time at third base, but this past season, he made a near-full-time transition back to shortstop. He proved by way of a solid arm, the same aforementioned good speed, and good reads off the bat that he can still hack it and then some. View the 6’1”, 185-pounder as a glove-first utility player who needs quite a bit of mechanical refinement and unlocking at the plate for him to realize a major league future, likely off the bench. Nasim Nuñez-esque.

Orlando Ortiz-Mayr is a 27-year-old righty who went undrafted before being signed by the Dodgers in 2021. He broke into the minor leagues in 2022 where he was humbled at the Low-A level, posting an ERA over 6.00 in 20 games, mostly as a reliever. A promotion to High-A in 2023 brought new hope for Ortiz-Mayr as he shaved over three runs off that metric before ascending to Double-A where he was trusted with a rotation spot. In 60.2 IP, his ERA ballooned back up to 5.79 and his K rate dipped to 17.7%. To his credit, Ortiz-Mayr did keep walks in check. He repeated the level this past season. His ERA fell to 4.71 (5.07 FIP) and his K rate rose to 18%, but his walk rate also rose to 10%.

Overall, Ortiz-Mayr allows way too much hard contact. In 2024, he allowed 18 home runs, second-most amongst Texas League pitchers. In 2023, he allowed nine in the aforementioned 60 ⅔ frames. In order to succeed, Ortiz-Mayr—a soft-tosser who doesn’t have overpowering stuff—needs to resolve command issues that have him living in the center of the plate rather than at the bottom of it. The Marlins are hoping they can resolve those issues and get the most out of his best-pitch slider, especially when it’s breaking away from hitters.

A move to the bullpen leading to shorter outings seems likely here.

Lost LHP Manuel Medina (BOS)

Manuel Medina is a 5’10”, 140-pound lefty signed by the Marlins during the 2018-19 international signing period. He came stateside from a solid showing in the DSL in 2022. After holding down an even 3.00 ERA over 30 innings for the FCL squad, Medina made his full season debut that same season. Medina spent most of 2023 with the Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads. His 4.28 ERA and 4.46 FIP were high for the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, but he also posted a solid 30.2% K rate. Despite this, Medina was relegated back to the FCL for 2024. Clearly undermatched at that level, Medina maintained a 0.83 ERA for 20 ⅓ innings. He struck out 36 and walked just five. Still, he only saw a total of four innings at the full-season level.

Medina features mid-90’s heat, a very solid curveball and a changeup that can flash plus. He is susceptible to lapses in control, which has led to some high and hard contact rates, but he is also coachable. This season, Medina was named the Marlins’ Student of the Year. With solid stuff albeit still a little raw, there is a route to sudden improvement for Medina with a new organization.

Interested in learning more about the Miami Marlins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!