Fortes' strong 2nd half could lead to long-term role

MIAMI -- This final month of the season is for players to show the Marlins’ front office they should be considered for 2025 and beyond, and Nick Fortes is no different.

Within the past year, veteran catchers Jacob Stallings and Christian Bethancourt have come and gone while Fortes has remained. During this time frame, the defensive side of his game has been up to par with the best in the Majors, but his offensive contributions have been holding him back.

Fortes continued producing at the plate by reaching base three times and navigating a tough Phillies lineup with a revolving-door pitching staff in Thursday night’s 5-2 loss at loanDepot park.

“I think the biggest thing that [manager] Skip [Schumaker] preaches is: Just be a good teammate, have a good attitude,” Fortes said. “That's the main part of being a catcher, is trying to keep a level head throughout an entire season, which is difficult, but it's very important at the position. So I think I've matured a lot with conversations from Skip and [pitching coach] Mel [Stottlemyre Jr.]

“I think I've started to realize how big that part of the game is, and I think I've grown a lot in that aspect. And, when it comes to my game, just continue to try to catch as best as I can, throw the ball well, block the ball well and keep putting together good at-bats. And I think at the end of the day, the results will show.”

Fortes, who turns 28 in November, will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter. Two of the Marlins’ Top 10 prospects are catchers: Agustin Ramirez (No. 4), who was acquired from the Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade and is at Triple-A Jacksonville, and Joe Mack (No. 10) at Double-A Pensacola.

Earlier this week, the Marlins designated for assignment backup catcher Ali Sánchez and recalled rookie Jhonny Pereda. Schumaker didn’t foresee these transactions altering the playing time.

“Fortes is swinging the bat really well,” Schumaker said Tuesday. “I think he handles the pitchers really well. … I like to ride the hot hand, and Fortes has been swinging really well, so I'm trying to run him [out there].”

Here are first- and second-half splits for Fortes entering Thursday:

xBA
• .249 post-ASB
• .224 prior

xSLG
• .330 post-ASB
• .282 prior

xwOBA
• .260 post-ASB
• .234 prior

Fortes’ .347 average (25-for-72) is the ninth highest among Major Leaguers with at least 50 at-bats. Among those with a minimum of 75 plate appearances in each half, his .367 OPS increase ranks sixth. After tallying just four multihit games in the first half, he already has nine since the All-Star break.

Despite spending 10 days on the injured list with a right quadriceps strain in mid-August, Fortes was able to maintain the “feels” he had coming out into the second half.

“It's kind of just staying up the middle, I guess, trying to stay to center field,” said Fortes, who experienced a injury scare while beating out a seventh-inning infield hit. “Then if I catch a little deep, it goes to right. If I catch it up front, it goes to left. And just trying to stick with that, not trying to do too much. Sometimes you fall into the trap of trying to get big, and that's when you start missing balls. So just trying to stay within myself and just get barrels to the big part.”

Most important is the job Fortes is doing behind the dish. Entering Thursday’s series opener, he ranked in the 94th percentile in blocks above average (11) and 87th percentile in caught-stealings above average (4).

In Wednesday’s finale against the Nationals, Fortes did the little things to help the club in an eventual walk-off victory. He helped negate a leadoff walk in the second by signaling with his glove, as right-hander Valente Bellozo picked off Luis García Jr. After failing to lay down a sacrifice bunt on the first pitch to open the 10th, Fortes advanced the automatic runner to third base with a groundout to second to set up Xavier Edwards’ game-winning single.

“I think he's really good at adjusting, depending on who’s coming into the game,” Schumaker said. “I still think he's learning as well, trying to figure out how to -- there's a lot of new pitchers, and trying to figure out those guys as well, what's working that night for them, not really knowing their stuff. I think it's been a challenge. That would be a challenge for everybody. A whole new bullpen, a lot of new rotation guys. So I just feel like there's a little bit of a veteran presence back there trying to slow the game down with some of the young guys is helpful.”