Liam Hicks Bio
Liam John Sherwood Hicks (born June 2, 1999) is a Canadian professional baseball catcher who plays for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed hitting backstop, he made his MLB debut in 2025 after climbing through the minor league systems of the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers. He is one of a small but growing group of Canadian-born catchers to reach the majors in recent years.
Originally drafted out of college in 2021, Hicks built his reputation on plate discipline and on-base skills in the lower minors before earning a roster spot in Miami through the Rule 5 draft. In his first major league season, he carved out an everyday role and delivered both power and run production for the Marlins.
Early Life and Background
Hicks was born on June 2, 1999, and grew up in Toronto, Canada, where he attended Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute. As a teenager, he developed his game in the Canadian amateur baseball scene, balancing schoolwork with travel and showcase schedules. His experience playing in a baseball-strong region of Ontario helped shape his identity as a contact-oriented catcher with a strong feel for the strike zone.
After high school, Hicks continued his development in the United States collegiate system. He enrolled at Mineral Area College in Missouri, where he played two seasons for the college baseball program and established himself as a draft-worthy catching prospect. He then transferred to Arkansas State University, suiting up for the Arkansas State Red Wolves for two more years and refining the offensive approach that would later define his pro profile.
Path to Professional Baseball
Hicks entered professional baseball when the Texas Rangers selected him in the ninth round, with the 254th overall pick, of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Rangers and received a $30,000 signing bonus, then made his pro debut with the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Rangers. The Rangers assigned him across multiple affiliates during his first full summers, with the goal of turning him into a versatile defensive catcher who could also impact the lineup.
By 2022, Hicks was already moving between levels, appearing that year with the High-A Hickory Crawdads, Single-A Down East Wood Ducks, and the ACL Rangers. Across 50 games at those three affiliates, he slashed .327/.462/.460 with three home runs, 32 RBI, and five stolen bases, demonstrating the on-base ability that would become his trademark. He returned to Hickory in 2023 while also seeing time with the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders, hitting a combined .275/.414/.373 with four home runs, 45 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 92 games.
Liam Hicks Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Hicks began his professional career in 2021 in the Rangers’ rookie-level system, learning the daily grind of catching and the structure of a full pro schedule. His offensive game blossomed in 2022, when his strong on-base numbers across three affiliates signaled that he could profile as a top-of-the-lineup bat behind the plate. The Rangers’ development staff focused on refining his receiving and game-calling while letting his natural hitting ability lead the way.
In 2023, Hicks earned a promotion to Double-A Frisco, his highest level to that point, while continuing to see time at High-A Hickory. His season-long production showed a patient hitter who controlled the strike zone, posted strong walk rates, and chipped in enough pop to keep pitchers honest. The Rangers’ decision to trade him in mid-2024 reflected a roster math decision more than a judgment of his long-term outlook.
Detroit Tigers Era (2024)
On July 28, 2024, the Texas Rangers traded Hicks and pitcher Tyler Owens to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for veteran catcher Carson Kelly. The move gave Hicks a new organization and a clearer path to major league at-bats if he could keep producing offensively. He finished the year with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, where he appeared in 33 games and slashed .272/.414/.368 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and two stolen bases.
His short stint in the Tigers system reinforced his reputation as a high-on-base, line-drive hitting catcher with the defensive skills to remain behind the plate. Although Detroit did not protect him on its 40-man roster that offseason, his performance kept him firmly on the major league radar heading into the winter.
Miami Marlins Era (2025–Present)
On December 11, 2024, the Miami Marlins selected Hicks from the Tigers in the Rule 5 draft, betting that his plate discipline and defensive profile would translate against big league pitching. He made the Marlins’ Opening Day roster out of spring training and made his MLB debut on March 28, 2025. The debut marked the culmination of a four-year climb from a ninth-round pick to an everyday major league catcher.
Hicks quickly delivered one of the defining moments of his rookie season on April 19, 2025, when he hit his first career home run off fellow Canadian Jordan Romano of the Philadelphia Phillies. He went on to bat .247 with six home runs and 45 RBI for the Marlins in 2025, handling a regular workload behind the plate and showing the kind of offensive consistency the team had hoped to unlock. The Marlins have continued to build their young core around players like Hicks, viewing him as a long-term answer at catcher.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a hitter, Hicks is best known for his plate discipline, with career minor league on-base percentages well above .400 reflecting his ability to work counts and draw walks. Defensively, he is regarded as a steady receiver whose game-calling and framing skills have steadily improved under professional coaching. His combination of contact ability, occasional pop, and defensive reliability made him an attractive Rule 5 selection for the Marlins.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights of Hicks’ career so far include his 2021 selection by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the MLB draft, his 2024 trade to the Detroit Tigers, his Rule 5 selection by the Miami Marlins in December 2024, and his MLB debut on March 28, 2025. His first career home run off Jordan Romano in April 2025 stands as a signature early milestone in his big league career.
Liam Hicks Career Wins
Hicks is a position player, and his professional record is measured in offensive statistics, championships, and milestones rather than wins. Across the minor leagues, he has been a productive everyday catcher for the Arizona Complex League Rangers, Down East Wood Ducks, Hickory Crawdads, Frisco RoughRiders, and Erie SeaWolves, with on-base skills as the hallmark of his resume.
Minor League and MLB Highlights
Hicks’ best minor league offensive season came in 2022, when he slashed .327/.462/.460 across three Rangers affiliates with three home runs, 32 RBI, and five stolen bases in 50 games. He followed that with a 92-game 2023 split between Hickory and Frisco, hitting a combined .275/.414/.373 with four home runs, 45 RBI, and seven stolen bases. In his first MLB season in 2025, he batted .247 with six home runs and 45 RBI for the Miami Marlins.
Other Performances
His late-2024 stretch in the Tigers system added 33 games at Double-A Erie, where he hit .272/.414/.368 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and two stolen bases. Each of these stops added a layer of polish to a player the Marlins believe can be part of their long-term plans behind the plate.
Liam Hicks Family
Family Background and Origins
Hicks was raised in Toronto, Canada, where he attended Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute. His Canadian roots are a notable part of his baseball identity, and his first major league home run came against fellow Canadian Jordan Romano, underscoring the small but tight community of Canadian big leaguers.
Personal Life
Hicks has kept his personal life largely out of the public eye, with no confirmed public details about a spouse, partner, or children available from reliable sources. He has continued to live a low-profile life focused on his baseball career since joining the Marlins.
2025 Season Performance
Hicks’ 2025 season represented his first full year in the major leagues after being selected by the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft. He opened the year on Miami’s Opening Day roster and made his debut on March 28, 2025, quickly establishing himself as a regular in the catching corps. His first career home run on April 19, 2025, against Jordan Romano provided an early highlight and helped cement his standing in the clubhouse.
Over the course of the season, Hicks batted .247 with six home runs and 45 RBI for the Marlins, providing stable defense and a patient approach at the plate. He logged the majority of his innings behind the plate and built a working relationship with Miami’s pitching staff. The Marlins viewed his rookie year as a successful transition, giving the organization a controllable young catcher to build around.
Looking ahead, the Marlins are expected to continue giving Hicks an extended look as their primary catcher, with his plate discipline and defensive reliability as the foundation of his role. His development behind the plate and ability to add power will likely define his 2026 outlook, as Miami looks to turn a young core that includes Hicks into a more competitive team in the National League.
