Ryan Ignoffo thrives in first season behind the plate

When the Marlins selected Ryan Ignoffo out of Eastern Illinois in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, it was like choosing to eat at a new restaurant after seeing it had a very long menu. Defensively, the two-way player had done almost everything as an amateur including pitching, playing the corner outfield spots, and playing multiple spots on both sides of the infield. From very early this spring though, it was evident the Marlins were trying something else and one of the few positions that was almost completely foreign to Ignoffo: catcher. He welcomed the chance.

“I saw it as another opportunity to get out on the field,” Ignoffo told Fish On First during the minor league season. “It’s a position I didn’t really get to play. I caught some bullpens my freshman year in the fall in college and that was about all I got. But being called on to catch for a bunch of professional guys with nasty stuff was just one of those eye-opening opportunities.”

Ignoffo began by catching some of the earliest bullpens on the backfields during spring training. As the campaign wore on, he spent nearly all of his time at the position. From the start, it was clear the Marlins had a plan for his development.

“It takes a special player to go to different positions and he’s that special player,” director of player development Rachel Balkovec said. “I think it’s a big mental hurdle. It’s an identity: 'oh no, I’m an outfielder. I can’t do that,' especially catching. It just speaks to his mentality, his open-mindedness, his willingness to work and learn, and his humble nature to learn a new position like that and then crush it. It really speaks to him as a person.”

Marlins top-ranked prospect Thomas White was paired with Ignoffo more often that any other catcher in 2024. White was highly complimentary of his battery mate's ability to cut down 28% of potential base-stealers.

“He did great. He has a freakin’ cannon back there,” White said. “It’s nice to see a guy get thrown out. You walk a guy, then Ryan throws him out next throw. He’s done a great job. It’s only going to get better.”

For Ignoffo defensively, some of his biggest takeaways as a new catcher were putting in the required time, learning how to be an effective supporter of his pitchers, and helping them control game tempo.

“It was just a lot of me showing up earlier than normal, talking with our catching coaches and pitching coaches both at Low-A and High-A,” Ignoffo said. “Just knowing how to pick apart certain game plans, knowing what our pitcher has, and how to attack hitters.”

Overall, learning how to catch nearly on the fly and making the full-time positional change in a single spring was a physical challenge, but one which he conquered.

“Looking back at all my preparation being a new catcher and seeing it pay off, especially on the hitting side—I thought I was going to suffer with not having my legs underneath me,” Ignoffo said. “I never ran into any issues. I only had fatigue for a couple of games here and there, but overall I felt really, really good.”

The success with the bat Ignoffo speaks of was a .324/.376/.459 slash line. He started with Low-A Jupiter and his exploits earned him the Marlins' organizational MVP award for that level. His production largely sustained with High-A Beloit against competition whose average age was closer to his own. In 24 games with the Sky Carp, Ignoffo hit .307/.327/.426. His 139 wRC+ across both levels was the best in the Marlins organization amongst full-season players.

“I think going from Low-A to High-A wasn’t that big of a jump. Guys have better stuff and command and do a really good job slowing the game down,” Ignoffo said of how he handled the push up the minor league ladder. “I think the first game I was the most nervous because all my family was there; Beloit is only 40 minutes from my house.”

Ignoffo added that his family was in attendance to support him at nearly every Sky Carp home game.

Heading into 2025, the new backstop has a plan for how he will attack the offseason in order to improve even more.

”Now I have a foundation and I know what I need to work on,” Ignoffo said. “I caught a ton of games this year which was a really good learning experience. Now I know where I need to get better, and it’s going to happen this offseason.”

At 24, Ignoffo is in a great situation: a player who impressed the organization, who became a leader, and who handled every challenge thrown at him. The versatility to play many other positions could be valuable further down the road even if catcher proves to be his primary occupation. He has a good chance of being invited to spring training and to possibly open the season at the Double-A level.

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