Projecting the IronPigs Catching Corps

The IronPigs have had remarkable consistency behind the plate over the past few years. Last year, Garrett Stubbs and Payton Henry accounted for 86% for all innings behind the dish and Aramis Garcia paired with Rafael Marchán preceded them as primary backstop for the ’23 & ’24 seasons.

Things could be different for 2026. On the surface it appears unlikely that either Marchán or Stubbs ends up back in Lehigh Valley. Payton Henry signed with the Yankees so he won’t be back while the Phillies were aggressive in stockpiling some veteran depth with multiple minor league deals handed out.

The next wave of catching prospects seems more likely to debut in Allentown towards the end of 2026, if not coming to town in 2027. Mix in the return of J.T. Realmuto on a multi-year contract and the Phillies don’t have a pressing need to rush a catcher through the system. What will be needed is good backup catching depth, something that does lend itself to a nice stable of backstops for the ‘Pigs.

Typically, the ‘Pigs will carry three catchers, all active or one on the Development List. I’d expect no different this year but the composition of that group will be dictated by a transaction towards the end of spring camp. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the catching corps might look like for the ‘Pigs on Opening Day.

Whoever isn’t J.T. Realmuto’s backup…maybe

This is the biggest question mark, and biggest gamechanger, for the IronPigs catching picture. One of the few roster battles for the Phillies is who will backup J.T. Realmuto. Last year, Marchán won that job thanks to the fact he was out of minor league options while Stubbs still had one remaining. This year, both are out of options. That leaves the battle as just purely based on who the Phillies prefer and who they think would be more likely to lose on waivers, as whoever loses the backup job will have to DFA’d (or traded).

From a 30,000 foot view, this looks like Marchán’s job to lose. Nearly six years younger than Stubbs, Marchán is the incumbent. He was serviceable enough at 0.2bWAR last year, handling the pitching staff well while adjusting to his first full season in the big leagues offensively. You can still dream on him growing into a bit more of an offensive profile and has displayed a solid aptitude behind the plate with a cannon of an arm. He’s followed in J.T.’s footsteps with some of the best pop times in the league. All coupled together, keeping Marchán is the path of least resistance for the Phillies as he has one more year of team control than Stubbs and it would be very likely he’d be claimed on waivers.

That’s not to say this is fait accompli. Stubbs has been a clubhouse leader in this organization for years and is beloved. His numbers with Lehigh Valley last year show he can be a positive contributor. Plus, this spring he’s been working out in the infield and outfield just to add another component of versatility. Even Rob Thomson has said there’s nothing against them carrying three catchers.

Will it be enough to move the needle though? Every year the Phillies have talked about scaling down J.T.’s workload, but that plan has never come to fruition. If this is the year he actually plays closer to 100 games rather than 120, the backup role is even more important. Given it was Marchán who filled it last year, I’ll project for now that he’ll be in the role again.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone who bought a Stubbs IronPigs shirsey can dust it off and take it out of the closet. I’d be skeptical if Stubbs actually ends up back in Allentown. Good catching depth is hard to come by, and if the Phillies were forced to DFA Stubbs, I’d be hard pressed to think another Major League team wouldn’t claim him or trade for him. He’s well respected around the game, handles a pitching staff beautifully, and is a boon for any clubhouse. The only thing that could see Stubbs back with the ‘Pigs is if teams balk at his split contract which calls for a higher salary than normal in the minors. My guess is that number isn’t prohibitive, but there would be some teams who wouldn’t be willing to pay essentially a premium on insurance if they had future intentions of trying to stash Stubbs in the minors.

This is all to say, neither Marchán or Stubbs will be a part of our projection for the IronPigs catching crew come Opening Day. As murky as the picture of their futures are, it’s tough to see a path to Allentown for either. Doesn’t mean it’s impossible, just unlikely. And of the two, it would seem likelier that Stubbs ends up passing the various hoops that leads back to the IronPigs.

The Non-Roster Invites on MiLB FA Deals

Mark Kolozsvary – Kolozsvary ended up missing most of last year as he suffered an ACL tear. He has been consistent upper minors depth who has gotten rave reviews for clubhouse presence and his ability to handle a pitching staff. He spent last year with the Red Sox, bouncing between Portland and Worcester before his injury and is used to being in a timeshare, not having played more than 60 games since 2019. Anticipate him filling that same kind of 2-3 starts a week role for the ‘Pigs.

René Pinto – Signed as an MiLB FA, Pinto got into 64 games in the minors last year with mostly Reno plus a few games with Buffalo when he was healthy. An .842 OPS with Reno showcases his offensive ability and has been his calling card as a bat first catcher. He has a career .795 OPS at triple-A, most of that time with Durham, when he was with the Rays organizations (the team that originally signed him out of Venezuela). On paper, it would seem Pinto will get the bulk of the work behind the plate for the ‘Pigs. Out of the non-roster invites, Pinto has the most Major League experience (83 games) and would probably be the first called upon should the Phillies ever need a third catcher. Pinto put up a .723 OPS in 39 games for Tampa Bay in 2023 but scuffled in 2024, appearing in just 19 games.

Table for Three?

The ‘Pigs have almost exclusively carried three catchers over the past few years and 2026 should be no different.

Paul McIntosh – It would seem like McIntosh is the likeliest to fill the third catcher role. He got into 10 games for the ‘Pigs last year, hitting two homers. He’s shown he can handle double-A, posting a .785 OPS over 303 games at the level. He’s also played a little bit of outfield, most recently in 2024, so he could also provide a drop of versatility as the Phillies and ‘Pigs deal with the early spring woes of Gabriel Rincones’s knee troubles that have held him out so far and the looming suspension of Johan Rojas. Acquired in the Jesus Luzardo trade, it’s time for McIntosh to get a longer look at triple-A.

The Future

The IronPigs haven’t needed to run through too many catchers in what’s been a downstream effect of J.T. Realmuto’s presence on the big league roster. Because of this, the Phillies have also been able to take their time in developing catchers, moving them slower through the system and being patient. It also has the benefit of being able to deal talented catchers for other areas of need as Logan O’Hoppe and Eduardo Tait have been traded over the years. While these next few names represent the future of catching in the Phillies organization, I would not anticipate them getting to Lehigh Valley this season. Catching prospects tend to take longer to develop on the whole, and letting them get a full year’s worth of at-bats at one level can be super beneficial.

Kehden Hettiger – Hettiger closed out 2025 with Reading, getting seven games there. In 85 games with Jersey Shore he had a .718 OPS. An 11^th round pick out of high school in 2023, seems like he’ll be with Reading this year. Should everything go well, would probably get a cup of coffee with the ‘Pigs to end the season, like McIntosh last year.

Caleb Ricketts – Older than Hettiger, Ricketts was a college pick out of San Diego in 2022. In 58 games with Reading last year, he had a .702 OPS as he repeated the level. Ricketts will likely form a tandem with Hettiger with Reading, but is the more likely of the two to get a promotion to Lehigh Valley earlier rather than later. Part of that calculus will be if there are at-bats available. Depending on how the Phillies view some of the more veteran upper minors catching depth, they could very well prioritize Ricketts and put him with Lehigh Valley to start the year in order to challenge him. He does have 133 games with Reading in his career, so just about a full season’s worth, but just a .685 OPS. My guess is the Phillies play it conservative, start him with Reading and if he plays well the first few months, then he finds himself with the ‘Pigs.